The global population of older persons aged 60 years and older increased from 382
million (8.6%) in 1980 to 962 million (12.7%) in 2017. It is expected to double by
2050 to nearly 2.1 billion (21.3%). Two-thirds of the world's older persons live in
the developing regions like Africa, where their numbers are growing faster than in
the developed regions. By 2050, it is estimated that 8 in 10 of the world's older
persons will be living in the developing regions. Africa is projected to increase
its population of older persons by 229% between 2017 and 2050. Factors contributing
to this trend include decreasing childhood mortality, improved health care, and decreasing
total fertility rate.
1
,
2
As indicated in the World Health Organization (WHO) report, it is paramount that
all countries consider planning for long-term care needs of their aged populations.
3
However, compared with European, North American, and Asian countries, very little
is known about care of older persons in the African subregion.To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Footnotes
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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