Older Population and the Health System

Abstract

Tunisia has the fastest growing population of older adults in the African continent and in the Arab region. The demography in Tunisia was affected by two trends over the last decades: increasing life expectancy and decreasing birth rate. The proportion of its elderly population has increased from 8% in 1995 to 12.5% and is anticipated to reach 25% in 2050. According to World Health Organization (WHO), in 2015, 11.7% of the Tunisian population were 65 years of age and older. The percentage of Tunisians in this age group was expected to triple between 2000 and 2050. Tunisia is not prepared to face this rapid aging of the population due to serious social, economic, political instability. Furthermore, this transition is associated with a preponderance of chronic diseases in the elderly leading to marked increase in dependency in the elderly population. Among the elderly, the need for family care and support will increase toward the end of life. However, the change in family structure and social changes may negatively affect the availability of family members to provide care for their relatives. The health authority in Tunisia will be faced with many challenges regarding elderly services. There is a need to implement a clear strategic plan aiming to provide good services across the various services needed for old age. It is important to pay attention to chronic diseases, family solidarity, and the collaboration with civil society and to review pension systems. There is a clear need as well to invest more in the training of the multidisciplinary team and to strengthen the medical geriatrics specialty.