Half of global population exhibits ageism against older people: WHO

By Gulcin Kazan Doger

ISTANBUL (AA) - Half of the global population holds ageist attitudes toward older people, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) official.

Kazuki Yamada, project manager of the UN Decade of Healthy Aging Platform, gave an e-mail interview to Anadolu ahead of the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day marked on June 15.

“The best available evidence clearly shows that rates of ageism vary across the world, with low- and lower-middle-income countries having the highest rates.

"Globally, 1 in 2 people are ageist against older people and in Europe, younger people report more perceived ageism than other age groups.

"But it is important to note that more research and data is required to make conclusions based on geographical generalizations,” Yamada stated, referring to a WHO study.

Yamada highlighted that one in every six people aged 60 and above experiences abuse annually, with higher rates prevalent in institutional settings such as nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Alarmingly, two out of three staff members admit to having abused an older person within the past year.

In addition to the devastating toll the coronavirus pandemic has taken on the lives of many older individuals worldwide, it has also exposed ageist stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination against this demographic, Yamada added.

“In some contexts scarce resources, such as ventilators or access to intensive care units, have been allocated according only to chronological age. Chronological age has also been used to determine physical isolation measures in different countries. Using chronological age as the sole criterion for physical isolation measures and for extending periods of confinement is discriminatory because it fails to account for the very diverse capacities and needs of older populations.”

Yamada further commented on the portrayal of the elderly in media coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Ageism has also manifested in news and media coverage of the pandemic, with older adults being generally portrayed as a homogeneous, vulnerable group that is substantially different from other age groups. Portraying older adults as frail, vulnerable and in need of protection ignores the great diversity that is evidenced in older age. Such messaging can also have serious impacts on the health and well-being of older adults.” ​​​​​​​