The organisation is seeking to dispel a number of myths about old age, including the idea that most elderly people live in the industrialised countries of the north. It is also potentially a great opportunity.
Older people have a lot to contribute.
Older people are often viewed as a homogeneous group from mainly industrialised countries, who no longer contribute to their families and societies, and may even be a burden. The truth could not be more different. There are currently about 580 million older people in the world, with 355 million in developing countries. By 2020, it predicts there will be 1,000 million, with over 700 million in the developing world. The rate of growth is extremely fast in some countries.