WHO South-East Asia nations adopt Colombo declaration to support healthy ageing

Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region adopted the Colombo Declaration on Healthy ageing through strengthened primary health care on October 14, 2025, aiming to enhance the health and well-being of an ageing population that is expected to double by 2050, reports 24brussels.

During a ministerial roundtable at the 78th Regional Committee session, Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge for WHO South-East Asia, highlighted the significant role of older individuals as essential contributors to families, communities, and economies, provided they maintain their health and functional abilities. “Older people, when in good health and with functional ability, are vital assets and continue to enrich families, communities, societies and economies. Primary health care is the most inclusive, effective, and efficient pathway to achieve universal health coverage, ensuring that older people can live long, healthy, productive and meaningful lives,” she stated.

The roundtable included Ministers of Health and senior representatives from Member States, along with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and regional experts. The declaration emphasizes the integration of healthy ageing into national policies and primary health care-oriented systems, ensuring that services are accessible, equitable, and tailored to the needs of older populations.

Boehme explained that the Ministerial Declaration serves as a framework for concrete action aligned with the Regional Strategy for Healthy Ageing 2024-2030, which focuses on four key areas: combating ageism, fostering enabling environments, delivering integrated person-centered care, and ensuring access to long-term care. These priorities are foundational for Member States to develop effective policies and programs responsive to the realities of an ageing demographic.

The declaration also stresses the need to strengthen the health care workforce through enhanced geriatric and gender-sensitive training, support for caregivers, and the establishment of multidisciplinary, community-based teams to deliver quality health services to older persons.

It calls for adequate resource allocation for policies supporting older populations by exploring innovative financing, public-private partnerships, and cross-ministerial collaborations to promote financial protection and universal coverage. “Lasting progress will depend on increased domestic investment. Healthy ageing must be embedded in national budgets, health plans, and social protection systems,” Boehme added, emphasizing the importance of broader partnerships involving development banks, civil society, the private sector, academia, and philanthropists in mobilizing resources and fostering innovation.

The declaration advocates for integrated, rights-based, and gender-sensitive care customized to the needs and preferences of older individuals. It also emphasizes the necessity of enhanced data systems to inform and monitor programs, alongside leveraging digital health innovations to improve access, efficiency, and quality of care.

In adopting the declaration, Member States committed to combat ageism through inclusive policies, public education, and intergenerational initiatives aimed at challenging stereotypes and fostering respect between generations. The WHO South-East Asia Region is experiencing a demographic shift, with the population aged 60 and above projected to increase from 11.3% in 2024 to 20.9% by 2050.

Prior to the roundtable, a ‘Participatory Dialogue’ held on October 12 engaged older people, caregivers, and community representatives from across the region. Input from this dialogue was integrated into the declaration to ensure it reflects the lived experiences of older individuals. “Their testimonies powerfully underscored that ageing is not merely about adding years to life, but about adding life to years—about dignity, purpose, and inclusion,” Boehme noted.

“Let us move forward with shared purpose. Together, we can build inclusive, resilient, and sustainable health and care systems—systems that uphold dignity, ensure security, and provide purpose to older persons for generations to come,” she concluded.