The lecture discusses the 'longevity revolution' in the context of Africa, highlighting the increase in life expectancy and the need for a societal shift to support the aging population. Although older individuals in Africa are becoming increasingly important to their communities, the continent has yet to fully experience this revolution. It emphasizes the necessity for age-friendly policies and environments to promote active aging, along with addressing ageism and ensuring the rights of older persons.

1. International Longevity Centre
Robert Butler Memorial Lecture
The Longevity Revolution within
the African context: opportunity
and challenge.
Cape Town, October - 2012
Alexandre Kalache
President - International Longevity Centre - Brazil
Senior Policy Advisor on Global Ageing, New York Academy of Medicine
HelpAge International Global Ambassador

2. BOB BUTLER

3. AGEISM
______________
The Longevity
Revolution

4. Revolution
”A radical and pervasive
change in society and the
social structure”

5. Longevity
Worldwide, life expectancy at birth has
increased by 30 years over the last century

6. The reality though is that the
Longevity Revolution has yet
to happen in Africa.

7. Proportion of 65 +
2010 2020
Angola 2.9 3.1
Botswana 3.9 4.5
Chad 2.9 3.1
Ghana 3.6 4.0
South Africa 5.5 7.4
Italy 20.3 23.1
Japan 22.6 28.3
US Census Bureau 2012

8. However, more than ever
Older Persons in Africa are
playing a crucial role in their
societies.

9. Moreover, there is hope and
opportunity for Africa to
prepare itself to the Longevity
Revolution.

10. What a privileged time we
live in…
shaping a society for all ages
to face the Longevity
Revolution

11. Who?
There are many contributors
to this reshaping – in
particular:
US !

12. Us - Baby Boomers

13. The emergence of a new
transition.

14. Gerontolescence
Changing roles…
yesterday’s Adolescents –
today’s Gerontolescents

15. The difference is that while
adolescence lasts for 4 or 5
years, gerontolescence will
last for 2, 3 decades.

16. And once again Butler
was ahead of the pack!

17. Re-inventing the
Life Course

19. Life Course today (man)

20. Life Course future
(woman)

21. Foundations to face the
Longevity Revolution

22. Frames are mental structures
that shape the way we see
the world:
The WHO Active Ageing
Framework

23. Active Ageing
A Policy
Framework

24. WHO definition of Active Ageing
The process of optimising the
opportunities for health, life-long
learning, participation
and security in order to enhance
quality of life as individuals age

25. The determinants of Active Ageing

26. The Life Course
perspective

27. ‘The Life Course approach
offers an interdisciplinary
conceptual framework to
guide research and policies
in relation to health,
human development
and ageing’

28. Functional capacity decline
Early Life Adult Life Older age
Growth and Maintaining highest Maintaining independence and
development possible level of preventing disability
Functional Capacity
function
Rang
e
indiv of functio
idual n in
s
Disability Threshold
Rehabilitation
and ensuring the
quality of life
Age
Kalache 2011 Fonte: Kalache and Kickbusch, 1997

29. Functional capacity decline
and the impact of interventions
Early Life Adult Life Older age
Growth and Maintaining highest Maintaining independence and
development possible level of function preventing disability
Functional Capacity
Disability threshold
Rehabilitation
and ensuring the
quality of life
Age

30. Healthy, active older
persons are resources
to their families, to their
communities and to the
Economy.

33. The need for standard
language:
• Positive ageing
• Healthy ageing
• Successful ageing
• Vital ageing
• Ageing well
• Productive ageing
• ........................... ACTIVE AGEING

34. An Ageing World
Population 2000 2025
2050
(in billions)
Total 6.0 7.8 8.9
Developed countries 1.2 1.2 1.2
Developing countries 4.7 6.6
7.8
60+ 0.6 1.2 2.0
Developed countries 0.2 0.3
0.3
Developing countries 0.4 0.9
1.7

35. In Africa, by the year 2050,
there will 212 million people
aged 60 and over.

36. Heterogeneous:
THE DIVERSITY OF OLD
AGE
Gender
SES
Nationality
Age group
Culture
Ethnicity
Sexual identity
Religion...

37. More older people throughout the world
By 2050 the number
of people 60+ living
in urban areas of
the developing
world will be 6 times
larger than now.

38. The contrasts

39. Enabling environments,
physical and social,
are urgently needed – and
this urgency also applies to
the developing world.

40. THE AGE FRIENDLY
APPROACH

41. But ... do we need more
Age Friendly societies?

42. WHO main staircase in Geneva

46. Enabling environments should
not be a preserve of the
developed world.

47. Operationalising the
Active Ageing paradigm

48. The WHO Age Friendly Cities
Global Network

49. What is an Age Friendly City?
An urban environment
accessible and inclusive
that promotes
ACTIVE AGEING
in all its main pillars:
Health,
Life-long learning,
Participation and
Security

50. The 8 dimensions
for research and action
Transportation
Housing
Outdoor
Spaces &
Public Social
Buildings Participation
Community
Age-Friendly
Support & Cities Respect &
Health Social
Services Inclusion
Civic
Communication
Participation
& Information
&
Employment 50

51. A bottom up approach …
Older persons as protagonists

52. ... but also top down
The need for responses
from the public sector

53. However, age friendly policies
are particularly needed at a
macro level:
From cities to States:
Sao Paulo
South Australia
Andalucía

54. A Rights-based approach

55. ... implying:
• The Right to Health
• The Right to Learn
• The Right to Work
• The Right to be Protected
• The Right to be Insured
• The Right to Participate
• To have access to services
....as well as...

56. The Right to Stop
The Right to Rest

57. In developing countries 80%
of Older Persons do not have
basic income
On the whole they are
highly productive... and
deeply unprotected.

58. PROTECTION
Older People as resources to
their families, communities
and the Economy.
The role of non-contributory pensions in,
for instance, South Africa and Brazil

59. The burden of inappropriate,
unequal policies:
In Brazil, the cost of social security for
one million ex-civil servants is 5 times
higher than the cost of non-contributory
pensions benefitting over 9 million
much poorer older persons.
In financial terms the cost is over USD 60
billion !

60. Productive ageing:
...”the capacity of an individual or
population to serve in a paid
employment, in volunteer work or in the
family and to keep a certain degree of
independence and autonomy for as
long as it is possible”...
Bob Butler

61. Productivity should not though
be measured only in financial
terms.
The role of older persons,
particularly older women in
providing CARE.

62. The economic argument:
In Spain a study conducted in 2002
indicated that 88% of total care to sick
individuals took place in the community
– mostly by women, particularly older
women.
Those aged 75-84 devoted 320
minutes/day providing care compared
to 23 minutes among women aged 18-
29 or 50 minutes for those aged 30-49.
Duran, M (2002)

63. The need for quality data
RESEARCH

64. Subsidising the North
Care of older persons in the
developed world is, by and large,
done by formal and informal
carers from developing countries.

65. Above all what is needed
TO FIGHT...
Age discrimination and

66. SOCIAL EXCLUSION
Kalache - Consultorias

67. Symbolic
Kalache - Consultorias

68. Institutional
Kalache - Consultorias

69. Socio-economic
Kalache - Consultorias

70. Territorial
Kalache - Consultorias

71. Identity
Kalache - Consultorias

72. Capital Social
Kalache - Consultorias

73. Socio-political
Kalache - Consultorias

74. Generavity – Leaving footprints

75. ‘Moving from a focus on oneself
to a focus on a broader social
radius… the ability to care for
and guide the next
generations… mentoring,
coaching, guiding, nurturing
them’
Erik Erikson

76. The increasing
presence
of older
persons in an
ever more
urbanised and
global world …

77. ... reminds that
we live in a
global village.
Therefore
we should …

78. … develop a culture
of ageing …
Kalache 2011

79. Planning for Diversity ...

80. and promoting SOLIDARITY
Between
• The rich and the poor
• Men and women
• All social classes
• The developed and the developing
world
but, above all.....

81. Solidarity between the young and the old