Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. On August 17, Deputy Minister of Health Sh.Ankhmaa, Head of Hospital Aid Department at the Ministry of Health Ya.Buyanjargal, World Health Organization (WHO) Resident Representative Sergey Diorditsa and corresponding officials contacted with hospitals of aimags and districts online from the National Center for Gerontology to inform about the measures and activities being organized in the framework of enhancing the professional medical assistance offered for elderly people.

The age group of 65 and above currently takes about 4.2 percent of the total population of Mongolia, while it is expected to increase twofold by 2050. In the framework of the national program on healthy aging and the elderly’s health, the Ministry of Health, WHO, and National Center for Gerontology are implementing a project on bringing comprehensive healthcare assistance for elders in IV and V health groups living in Ulaanbaatar city to their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic and the new normal. In its framework, the center acquired the necessary equipment with the capacity to get in contact with 21 aimags and districts at the same time with financing from WHO.

Furthermore, 6,985 target group elders and 136 elders that are under the care of the State Nursing home have been involved in home visits 4 times and provided with humanitarian and health education packages. Deputy Minister Sh.Ankhmaa said, “While life expectancy is about 73 in Mongolia, the life expectancy for developed countries has reached 84. Step-by-step measures are being implemented in the framework of the program, ‘Health aging and the elderly’s health’, in aims of increasing the life expectancy of our elders. Alongside the provision of the humanitarian package on preventing infection and supporting their immune system and the health education package on preventive measures for diseases, doctors, hospital staff, and voluntary instructors are paying visit to target group elders. We will pay special attention to having healthcare assistance and services meet the needs and demands of elders, making more options for assistance available for home visits, and increasing the number of elders with knowledge on recommended health practices that are living in safe environments.”

WHO Resident Representative Sergey Diorditsa said, “Life expectancy continues to increase all around the world. While there are about 674 million people above the age of 65 globally, about 240 million elders live in Asia and the Western Pacific region in which Mongolia is included. This number is expected to increase by 2 times by the year of 2050. Mongolia has a policy document to be followed nationwide on the matter of aging. The project has been implemented by WHO in its framework. It is special as working towards the goal of preparing citizens for healthy aging.”