09-Dec-16 Globally, the number of older persons is forecast to exceed 2 bn by 2050, by when nearly two-thirds will be living in Asia-Pacific, and one in four people across the region will be over 60. More than 20 countries in Asia-Pacific have adopted national policies to deal with ageing, but many others have yet to do so. And implementation must be strengthened. [image: Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat 2008 revision]

18-Nov-16 2016 marked another major milestone in China, as health became an explicit national priority under the Healthy China 2030 plan. This is an exceptional recognition of the political power of health. But some formidable new threats have arrived. Population-wide increases in body weight warn of a wave of lifestyle-related diseases including heart disease, diabetes and diet-related cancers. [image: China Topix]

15-Sep-16 Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men worldwide. The projection data shows that the number of cases will double by 2020. "With the increased migration of rural population to the urban areas, changing lifestyles, increased awareness, and easy access to medical facility, more cases of prostate cancer are being picked up [in India]," said Dr Kumar, head of Urology at Safdarjang Hospital. [image: The Indian Express]

12-Sep-16 Hong Kong’s overburdened public hospitals will have to cope with a massive rise in patient admissions by 2041, with the number of inpatient days almost doubling, a study has predicted. The elderly would account for 76% of the increase in inpatient days, up from 62% per cent in 2022. Researchers called the rise “predictable but inevitable”. [image: South China Morning Post]

11-Sep-16 While demographers still assess the effects of the relaxation of the one-child policy, pregnant women and hospitals are feeling the squeeze. China forecasts that an extra 17 mn babies will be born within the next five years. In some of those years, there are expected to be more than 20 mn births. [image: South China Morning Post]