Global Health and Global Aging

Global Health & Global Aging

This comprehensive collection brings together in one book leading researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to examine the critical intersection of global aging and global health.

The book covers the fundamentals of global aging and health and provides real–world models from countries and regions that offer the best practices in current approaches. Global Health and Global Aging presents information about leadership and governance challenges as well as insights about aging in different cultures and countries in all regions of the world.

The book explores the factors that contribute to high rates of longevity and shows how countries including Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States contribute to the overall health of their populations. The book also outlines the challenges facing specific countries such as Russia, India, and China that have rapidly aging populations.

Global Health and Global Aging delves into recent research findings that identify factors of successful aging and outlines the key ways that a global society can influence how we age. Research scholars in global aging and health, finance and pensions, housing, education, employment, transportation and disability, and public policy identify findings that offer hope and expand options to young and old for healthy aging.

All royalties for the sale of this book will be donated to the AARP Foundation.

About the AARP Foundation viii

Foreword x
Robert N. Butler, M.D.

Preface xi
Mary Robinson

The Editors xv

Contributors xvi

PART ONE: THE WORLD AND ITS AGING POPULATION

1. World Policies on Aging and the United Nations 3
Alexandre Sidorenko

2. Population Aging: A Global Overview 15
Mary Beth Weinberger

3. The World Health Organization and Global Aging 31
Alex Kalache

4. Leadership and Governance Challenges for Global Health and Aging 47
Derek Yach

5. Perception of Aging in Different Cultures 58
Frank E. Eyetsemitan

PART TWO: COUNTRIES WITH HIGH RATES OF LONGEVITY

6. Healthy Aging in Denmark? 71
Bjarne Hastrup

7. Challenges of Longevity in France: The International Longevity Centre–France Perspective 85
Francoise Forette and Marie–Anne Brieu

8. Healthy Aging in Finland 96
Pekka Puska

9. Healthy Aging in Germany 106
Ulla Schmidt

10. Healthy Aging from Seventy to Over One Hundred in Germany: Lessons from the Berlin Aging Study 118
Jacqui Smith and Paul B. Baltes

11. Challenges of Productive Aging in Japan 128
Shigeo Morioka

12. Healthy Aging in the Netherlands 140
C.I.J.M. Ross–van Dorp

13. Aging in Spain: Working Toward Creating New Rights in the Welfare State 149
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero

14. Health and Aging in Sweden 157
Barbro Westerholm

15. Aging in the United Kingdom 168
Sally Greengross

16. Healthy Aging in the United States 177
Jeanette C. Takamura

PART THREE: COUNTRIES FACING RAPID POPULATION AGING IN THE NEXT TWENTY TO THIRTY YEARS

17. Health and Aging in Africa 187
Nana Araba Apt

18. Aging of Populations: Is China s Pattern Unique? 197
Lincoln Chen and Lingling Zhang

19. Health and Aging in India 208
Sharad D. Gokhale

20. Health and Aging in the Eastern Mediterranean Region 215
Mohamed H. El–Banouby

21. Health and Aging in Russia 226
Vladimir Kh. Khavinson and Olga N. Mikhailova

22. Health and Aging in Latin America and the Caribbean 238
Enrique Vega

PART FOUR: LEADERS IN RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS

23. The Biology of Aging: Current Research and Expected Future Gains 249
George M. Martin and Joshua Lederberg

24. Exceptional Longevity 257
Thomas Perls and Dellara F. Terry

25. Cities, Sociodiversity, and Strategy 275
Jaime Lerner

26. Creating a Healthy Environment for Aging Populations 281
Gloria M. Gutman

27. How Government, Business, and Social Sector Partnerships Can Finance Programs for the Aging 292
A. James Forbes, Jr.

28. Policies and Practices Affecting Health and Longevity of People with Disabilities: Lessons from the United Kingdom 300
Hector Medora and Angela Hassiotis

29. Keeping People Active: Continuing Education Programs that Work 313
Julia Preece and Brian Findsen

30. Longevity′s Impact on Retirement Security 323
C. Robert Henrikson

31. Improving Health Care in America: Lessons Learned from the Global Village 337
William D. Novelli

PART FIVE: EPILOGUE: THE ROAD AHEAD

32. Epilogue: The Road Ahead 351
Erik Olsen

Mary Robinson is president of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative. She previously served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and was president of Ireland from 1990 to 1997.

William Novelli is chief executive officer of AARP, a membership organization of 38 million people age 50 and older. Previously, he was president of the Campaign for Tobacco–Free Kids and executive vice president of CARE.

Clarence Pearson is a global health leadership and management consultant and former senior advisor to World Health Organization at the United Nations. He conceived the series of global health books for Jossey–Bass and serves as the series′ executive editor.

Laurie Norris is an international communications consultant and author of a history of the China Medical Board, a pioneer in Western–style medical education in China and Asia. She serves as managing editor for the global health series published by Jossey–Bass.