International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

Ageism and Health System Responsiveness to Older People: An Agenda for Action and Research

Document Type : Viewpoint

Authors
Thi Vinh Nguyen
Sumit Kane
Nossal Institute for Global Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
10.34172/ijhpm.9615
Keywords
Health System
Responsiveness
Ageism
Older People
Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Introduction

 

Global statistics indicate an increasing trend in the number and proportion of older people within the population, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Estimates suggest that the global population of 60 years and over will nearly double from 12% to 22% between 2015 and 2050, with 80% of older people living in LMICs by 2050.1 ...(Read more...)

  1. World Health Organization. Ageing and health 2022. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health.
  2. Saka S, Oosthuizen F, Nlooto M. National Policies and Older People's Healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review. Ann Glob Health. 2019;85(1):91. doi:5334/aogh.2401
  3. ASEAN Secretariat. Policy developments on population ageing and empowering older persons in ASEAN member states 2019. https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/Policy%20Developments%20on%20Population%20Ageing%20by%20ASEAN%20Secretariat.pdf. Accessed September 5, 2025.
  4. World Health Organization (WHO). The World Health Report 2000: Health Systems: Improving Performance. WHO; 2000.
  5. Mirzoev T, Kane S. What is health systems responsiveness? Review of existing knowledge and proposed conceptual framework. BMJ Global Health. 2017;2(4):e000486.
  6. World Health Organization (WHO). Global report on ageism. Geneva: WHO; 2021.
  7. Wyman MF, Shiovitz-Ezra S, Bengel J. Ageism in the health care system: providers, patients, and systems. In: Ayalon L, Tesch-Römer C, eds. Contemporary Perspectives on Ageism. Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2018. p. 193-212.
  8. Officer A, Thiyagarajan JA, Schneiders ML, Nash P, de la Fuente-Núñez V. Ageism, healthy life expectancy and population ageing: how are they related? Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(9):3159. doi:3390/ijerph17093159
  9. Ugargol A, D’Souza P. Addressing Ageism in Healthcare: Insights for an Age-Inclusive Longevity Society. Springer; 2024. p. 1-24.
  10. North MS, Fiske ST. Modern attitudes toward older adults in the aging world: a cross-cultural meta-analysis. Psychol Bull. 2015;141(5):993-1021. doi:1037/a0039469.
  11. Ayalon L, Dolberg P, Mikulionienė S, Perek-Białas J, Rapolienė G, Stypinska J, et al. A systematic review of existing ageism scales. Ageing Res Rev. 2019;54:100919. doi:1016/j.arr.2019.100919
  12. Motsohi T, Namane M, Anele AC, Abbas M, Kalula SZ. Older persons' experience with health care at two primary level clinics in Cape Town, South Africa: a qualitative assessment. BJGP Open. 2020;4(3):bjgpopen20X101048. doi:3399/bjgpopen20X101048
  13. Burnes D, Sheppard C, Henderson CR Jr, et al. Interventions to reduce ageism against older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Public Health. 2019;109(8):e1-e9. doi:2105/AJPH.2019.305123
  14. Goharinezhad S, Maleki M, Baradaran HR, Ravaghi H. A qualitative study of the current situation of elderly care in Iran: what can we do for the future? Glob Health Action. 2016;9:32156.
  15. Brinda EM, Kowal P, Attermann J, Enemark U. Health service use, out-of-pocket payments and catastrophic health expenditure among older people in India: the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE). J Epidemiol Community Health. 2015;69(5):489-494. doi:1136/jech-2014-204960
  16. Christopher CM, Loong MCW, Blebil AQ, et al. Helping older adults with their medication use problems: A qualitative study on perspectives and challenges of primary health care providers. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2023;111:105007. doi:10.1016/j.archger.2023.105007
  17. Goodman-Palmer D, Ferriolli E, Gordon AL, et al. Health and wellbeing of older people in LMICs: a call for research-informed decision making. Lancet Glob Health. 2023;11(2):e191-e192. doi:1016/S2214-109X(22)00546-0
  18. Araújo PO, Soares I, Vale P, Sousa AR, Aparicio EC, Carvalho ESS. Ageism directed to older adults in health services: a scoping review. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem. 2023;31:e4019. doi:1590/1518-8345.6727.4019
  19. Ogunyemi AO, Balogun MR, Ojo AE, et al. Provider and facility readiness for age-friendly health services for older adults in primary health care centres in southwest, Nigeria. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2023;3(8):e0001411. doi:1371/journal.pgph.0001411
  20. Nguyen TV, Kane S. Towards an agenda of action and research for making health systems responsive to the needs of people with disabilities. Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 2024;52:101225. doi:1016/j.lanwpc.2024.101225
  21. Bridges J, Pope C, Braithwaite J. Making health care responsive to the needs of older people. Age Ageing. 2019;48(6):785-788. doi:1093/ageing/afz085
  22. World Health Organization (WHO). Integrated care for older people: Realigning primary health care to respond to population ageing. WHO; 2018.
  23. Karami B, Ostad-Taghizadeh A, Rashidian A, Tajvar M. Developing a conceptual framework for an age-friendly health system: a scoping review. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2023;12:7342. doi:34172/ijhpm.2023.7342
  24. World Health Organization (WHO). WHO Ageism Scale: Manual and User Guide. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO; 2025. https://www.aworld4allages.org/who-ageism-scale.
International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume 15, Issue 1
2026
Pages 1-5

  • Received Date 17 November 2025
  • Revised Date 14 January 2026
  • Accepted Date 10 February 2026
  • First Published Date 14 February 2026
  • Published Date 01 December 2026