Hasmik Dilanyan
“Radiolur”
October 1st is observed as International Day of Older Persons. One in every ten is 60 years and older today. By 2050, one out of every five will be an older person, and by 2150, one third of the people in the world are expected to be 60 years of age or older.
The UN Population Fund and the HelpAge International have issued a report on “Ageing in the Twenty-First Century: A Celebration and a Challenge.”
According to the report, 30.2% of the population in Armenia will be 60 years and older in 2050. Under international classification, Armenia is an ageing country.
The report predicts that the umber of people aged 60 and older will nearly double in Armenia in 2050 to reach 885 thousand instead of current 469 thousand, executive representative of the UNFPA Armenian Office Garik Hayrapetyan told reporters today.
Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Jemma Baghdasaryan noted that a number of programs are being implemented in Armenia to support the lonely older persons, the number of which totals 14 thousand in our country. This August the Government adopted the strategy of social protection of older people, she said.
According to Garik Hayrapetyan, although Armenia is not the best country in the world for older people, it is one of leaders in the region to address their problems.
Despite the efforts of the government, not all older people are protected in Armenia, said 85-year-old Karlen Babayan, founder of the “Association of old residents of Yerevan” NGO.
