World Senior Citizen's Day: History and significance

It should be noted that World Senior Citizen’s Day is different from the International Day of Older Persons, which was instituted by the UN and is observed on October 1

World Senior Citizen’s Day is observed annually on August 21 to raise awareness about the issues and challenges faced by the elderly, including health issues and elderly abuse.

As the countries around the globe mark this year’s World Senior Citizen’s Day, we take a look at its history and significance.

History:

World Senior Citizen’s Day was initially confined to the United States and its observance began after former US President Ronald Reagan signed Proclamation 5847 on August 19, 1988, declaring August 21 to be National Senior Citizen’s Day.

“For all they have achieved throughout life and for all they continue to accomplish, we owe older citizens our thanks and a heartfelt salute. We can best demonstrate our gratitude and esteem by making sure that our communities are good places in which to mature and grow older—places in which older people can participate to the fullest and can find the encouragement, acceptance, assistance, and services they need to continue to lead lives of independence and dignity,” the proclamation read.

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It should be noted that World Senior Citizen’s Day is different from the International Day of Older Persons, which was instituted by the United Nations (UN) and is observed on October 1 annually.

Significance:

With the global demographic changing, World Senior Citizen’s Day is an occasion to not only reflect on the contributions of the elderly and the issues faced by them, but also to acknowledge that the proportion of the elderly is slated to increase considerably in the coming decades, which, in turn, is likely to give rise to new challenges.

According to the UN, the total number of people above the age of 65 will hit 1.5 billion in 2050, double of the 703 million it was in 2019, with the largest increase expected to happen in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia.

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Further, less developed countries will be home to more than two-thirds of the global elderly population by 2050, with an estimated 1.1 billion people aged above 65.

Given this projected increase, robust healthcare and elderly care systems will need to be set up to provide adequate care to the ageing population and reduce neglect and elderly abuse.