March 14-15 Conference on Aging in Asia to be held in New Delhi

The portion of India's population age 65 or older will more than triple between 2000 and 2050 - part of a larger aging trend occurring rapidly throughout Asia, as life spans lengthen and birth rates drop. This shift will raise critical questions for governments about how best to support the health and economic well-being of growing numbers of elderly citizens.

On March 14 and 15 an international conference in New Delhi will gather leading researchers to present the latest findings on Asia's aging trend. Sessions will include:

• The unveiling of the first results from a long-term study of India's aging population, including new findings about their health, financial status, and family support
• New research on the aging trend in other Asian nations, including China, Japan, and Indonesia
• A discussion with Indian policymakers about the challenges ahead

An agenda for the conference can be found at http://national-academies.org/AgingInAsia.html

The conference is being convened by five science academies from India, China, Indonesia, Japan, and the U.S. - which recently released the report Preparing for the Challenges of Population Aging in Asia - and will be hosted by the Indian National Science Academy, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi.

REPORTERS: Get more information, register to attend the conference, or obtain a PDF of the report by contacting Sara Frueh of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences at e-mail sfrueh@nas.edu or tel. +01 202 870 1650.

Provided by National Academy of Sciences