Longevity experts urge India to lead the G20 in its commitment to investing more in healthy ageing ahead of G20 Health Ministers’ Meeting in Gandhinagar this week.

The International Longevity Centre UK (ILC-UK), the leading authority on the impact of longevity on society, has published a fact pack on the future of healthy ageing in India ahead of a high-level G20 side event in conjunction with ILC India.

This year, India overtook China as the world’s most populous country and already has the fifth-largest economy. Since 2000, life expectancy has increased by 7% and time spent in good health by 8%. While currently a comparatively young country, India is ageing, and fast. The number of older adults aged 60 or over is set to double by 2050, making up one-fifth of the population.

Older Indians are already contributing significantly to India’s economy. More than half (51%) of people aged 50-69 in employment in 2018. Those aged 65+ spent more hours volunteering than older adults in any other G20 countries. This cohort also spends an average of 30 more hours volunteering than people at other ages.

But the Indian Government will need to leverage that and invest in healthy ageing to ensure India continues to grow its economy over the next decades, argue the fact pack authors.

India’s theme for this year’s G20 presidency “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (One Earth, One Family, One Future) aims to build consensus across G20 member states across a wide range of global challenges, including global health, and creates an optimal opportunity to place healthy ageing and prevention on the national and global policy agenda.

On ILC-UK’s innovative new Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index, which ranks 121 countries on how sustainably they are adapting to longer lives, India currently ranks 102nd and last in the G20.

When comparing India to other G20 countries, India spends only $211 per capita on health care and $16 per capita on prevention, the smallest amount in the G20 – and about 2%of what the US spends on per capita health care.

India still struggles to provide access to medical doctors. Other G20 countries such as Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan and the UK, range between 35 to 40 medical doctors per 10,000 population. In 2020, India, on average had only 7 doctors per 10,000 population.

But India’s increased investment in Universal Health Coverage and efforts to improve access to education over the past two decades have resulted in considerable improvements to life and healthy life expectancy, which, if continued, could radically change India’s ranking.

Investing in prevention is the most effective way to keep people healthier for longer and its benefits extend well beyond the health care system. ILC-UK research found that:

• The global healthcare cost of all preventable non-communicable diseases and mental health conditions is $301.8 billion for the period 2020-2030
• Across the G20, preventable conditions cost economies $1.02 trillion in yearly productivity loss among those aged 50-64. This is roughly equivalent to the estimated loss in global worker income for the first half of 2021 as a result of COVID-19
• Increasing preventative health spending by just 0.1 percentage points could unlock an additional 9% of spending every year by people aged 60 or over.

Jayant Umranikar, Chairman, International Longevity Centre-India (ILC-I) said:

“We had, so far, presumed India to be ‘eternally young’ with an expanding young population. Yet, the inescapable fact is that we are ageing fast; India’s 60+ population is already 10.1% as of 2021.

As per ILC-UK’s Healthy Ageing & Preventive Index ranking, India stands at 102 out of 121 countries. Given this scenario, it is clear that India needs to recognise urgency and adapt to its increasing longevity.

This side event on the occasion of the G20 meeting in Gandhinagar, is a good opportunity for the Indian Government., civil society, and the private sector to address the issues and concerns of healthy population ageing in their development agenda.”

Arunima Himawan, Senior Health Research Lead at the International Longevity Centre UK said:

“As G20 president, India has much to gain from investing in longevity, but so do other G20 nations, almost half of which are “super ageing”. India has recognised the need for a united approach to global health and for further efforts to strengthen healthcare systems across the G2o. And it is well placed to galvanise action on healthy ageing and prevention at the forthcoming Health Ministers’ meeting.”

Stephen Burke, CEO of Hallmark Foundation which is co-funding ILC’s work on the Index, said:

“During India’s G20 presidency, it has emphasised a united approach to global health and is therefore well positioned to address one of the biggest global challenges. How can India – and the G20 – ensure its population can live longer and better lives? The Index offers key insights into ageing well from all countries including India. Ageing well is about investing in prevention, keeping active in later life, and tackling inequalities – and for a relatively small investment, the Indian economy could reap huge returns. The G20 summit is an opportunity to share learning between nations so that everyone has the chance of healthier as well as longer lives.”

Ends

Notes

The ILC-UK’s fact pack “An ageing India: outlooks for the future” can be downloaded here An ageing India: outlooks for the future – ILCUK

On 16 August 2023, ILC-UK is holding a high-level G20 side event with its partner organisation, ILC-India exploring the benefits of healthy ageing and prevention. Speakers include:

• Stephen Hickling, Deputy High Commissioner to Gujarat and Rajasthan, British Deputy High Commission
• Anna-Katharina Hornidge, Director, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
• David Sinclair, Chief Executive, ILC-UK
• Dr Surjit Singh, Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Paediatric Immunology
• Shri Jayant Umranikar, Chair, ILC-India

For more information and to register to attend in person or access the virtual Zoom link, please see go to: G20 high-level side event in India: Unlocking the benefits of healthy ageing and prevention – joint event with ILC-India – ILCUK

To view the ILC’s Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index and associated analysis, visit www.preventionindex.org The Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index is made possible by charitable support and grants from Amgen, GSK, Hallmark Foundation, MSD, Pfizer and Sanofi.

About ILC-I

The vision of ILC-I is “Celebrating age and creating a society for all ages.”

The mission of ILC-I is to function as a not-for-profit organization in the areas of policy, training, research, documentation and advocacy and also to undertake pilot projects for the benefit of population ageing.

International Longevity Centre-India is one of the sixteen members of the Global Alliance of International Longevity Centres.

About Hallmark Foundation

Hallmark Foundation is an independent charitable foundation founded and led by the Goyal family focusing on ageing well and improving care. We invest in innovation and research and work in partnership with other funders, charities and organisations to maximise the impact of our funding.