Healthy and nutritional status of the elderly in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Elderly people themselves are growing older, increasing the numbers and proportions of the very old. The majority of elderly people are women, often in ill health and vulnerable as they are particularly poor and more likely than men to be widowed. In recent years there has been an increasing international awareness of the health issues relating to aging populations and in April 1995, WHO launched a new programme on Aging and Health. In 1999,World Health Day focused on the goal of Active Aging. An aging population should not be seen as a crisis. The real crisis of aging, where it exists, is the personal crisis of day-to-day existence – a present reality faced by older individuals and their carers. Health policies must respond by increasing the quality of life of both present and future cohorts of elderly populations. Prior to this survey, information has not been available at a population level on the health and nutritional status of the elderly in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. WHO therefore advocated and provided resources for the inclusion of the elderly within a national survey of health and nutrition planned by UNICEF. It is hoped that the information gained will be of use in raising awareness of the needs of this important and growing sector of society and provide a useful resource for policy-makers and planners. This survey was conducted in September/November 1999.