Healthy Ageing and Healthy Economy

Abstract

In the late-summer of 2013, high-level public policy-makers in the Thai government were absorbed in contemplating the results of a recentlyreleased research study that had examined the likely impacts of a rapidly aging population on several aspects of the Thai economy and society. Among other f indings, the report had pointed out that Thailand now enjoyed the distinction of having the highest ratio of elderly (i.e., age 60+) citizens of any ASEAN nation, except Singapore. Indeed, within 5 years it was expected that for the f irst time in the history of Thailand, the population of older persons would surpass that of children.
To date, little public policy attention had been devoted to examining the long-term implications of a rising proportion of elderly citizens. But, it was understood that the implications were likely to be quite profound, particularly in areas such as the labor market, incomes, saving and investment, healthcare, and government spending. High-level public policy-makers were therefore keen to gain a deeper understanding of the most salient likely impacts, with a view to determining how government policy should be tailored to accommodate the emerging elderly majority, while simultaneously nurturing an environment for what the World Health Organization (WHO) called “healthy aging.”
Fortunately, as they embarked on their journey to see where an ageing demography might take the country, the high-level policy-makers had access to a research study entitled, “Health, Aging and Retirement in Thailand (HART),” that had been performed by the Off ice of Research at the National Institute for Development Administration (NIDA). The study contained a wealth of data that the high-level policy-makers believed might illuminate the challenges ahead, as well as suggest some public policy initiatives and arrangements that might be needed in the near- and mediumterm future.