Giving Compass' Take:

• ADB is working to ensure that Asia's rapidly aging population has access to the services they need as they grow older - including healthcare and education. 

• How can donors emulate the work being done by ADB? How will the West cope with its aging population? 

• Learn about making transportation easier for seniors in rural America.

The issue of Asia-Pacific’s rapidly aging population was among the larger themes in the ADB’s just-concluded 51st annual meetings. By 2050, the number of elderly in the region is projected to grow to more than 1 billion.

Over the past few years, the bank has started to build awareness and knowledge of the different challenges posed by this demographic shift, such as pressures on health care, and the kinds of innovative models and service delivery that could help inform the work they do in the region.

The elderly population is at an increased risk of suffering from chronic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, but the treatment and management of these diseases are often excluded from most insurance coverage. Some countries also lack enough human resources trained to accommodate the growing number of elderly and to cater to their specific needs.

Instead of creating a separate program focused on providing long-term care and addressing the needs of the elderly, the bank is currently building on its core social areas, such as health, social protection, and education, to include improved elder care.

Under health, for example, the bank developed regional technical assistance aimed at helping a number of developing countries experiencing rapid aging create new policies and long-term care services. This includes carrying out country diagnostics to understand the long-term care needs in each country, the capacities available on the ground, the policies in place or lacking, the existing programs and insurance coverage, as well as human resource constraints related to elder care.

Read the full article about the rapidly aging population in Asia by Jenny Lei Ravelo at Devex International Development.