Health and Long-Term Care Information in Ageing Asia

April 2019–March 2021

LEAD RESEARCHER

Reiko Hayashi, National Institute of Population and Social Security Research (IPSS), Japan

COLLABORATING RESEARCHERS

Toru Suzuki, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea
Katsuhisa Kojma, IPSS, Japan
Yoshimi Chitose, IPSS, Japan
Masataka Nakagawa, IPSS, Japan
Ruoyan Gai, IPSS, Japan
Keita Suga, IPSS, Japan
Ryo Oizumi, IPSS, Japan
Yukiko Senda, Tohoku Gakuin University, Japan
Osuke Komazawa, ERIA, Indonesia
Khaing Khaing Soe, Department of Population, Ministry of Immigration and Population, Myanmar
Nyi Nyi U, Department of Population, Ministry of Immigration and Population, Myanmar
Lolito R.Tacardon, Commission on Population, Philippines
Halimah Awang, Social Security Research Centre (SSRC), University of Malaya, Malaysia
Nur Fakhrina Ab Rashid, Social Security Research Centre (SSRC), University of Malaya, Malaysia
Do Hoon Kim, National Health Insurance Service, Republic of Korea
Zhenzhen Zheng, Institute of Population and Labor Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China
Ting Feng, Institute of Population and Labor Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China
Luong Quang Dang, General Office for Population, Ministry of Health, Viet Nam

The world’s population is aging and Asia is no exception. The number of older persons aged 65 and over in Asia will nearly triple from 335 million in 2015 to 937 million in 2050, making promoting healthy and active ageing a critical policy priority. The need to act is urgent, but promoting economic development at the same time as the population ages will pose a serious challenge to countries that do not have sufficient fiscal strength to support social security costs such as pensions or health insurance systems. Changes in family values and high levels of internal and international migration are resulting in aged parents being left behind and alone, increasing the demand for other forms of long-term care.

This project is a continuation of a project on The Demand and Supply of Long-Term Care for Older Persons in Asia. The research team will survey sources of information on health and long-term care, including censuses, vital statistics, household surveys, and statistics based on administrative records, particularly those conducted by ministries of health. They will also conduct feasibility studies on health information. The findings will be used to clarify health needs and the state of long-term care in the region.

In line with the previous project, this year’s project will focus on the following:

  1. Expanding  the existing database of indicators for the demand and supply of long-term care in South, Central, and Western Asia.
  2. Collecting and comparing healthcare information, including cause-of-death statistics, healthcare access statistics, and disease-specific morbidity in East and Southeast Asia as well as target countries in South, Central, and Western Asia.
  3. Analysing health information systems in Viet Nam and one other country (TBC) and determining their strengths and weaknesses.
  4. Conducting regular meetings virtually and in-person amongst members of the research team.
  5. Uploading visual data and research reports to the Asia Health and Wellbeing Initiative website. The research results will be disseminated at international conferences.