The Region of the Americas is facing accelerated demographic and epidemiological changes. As these trends will continue in future years, long-term care needs are expected to rise. How can countries respond to these challenges? We propose that countries in the Region should invest in the implementation of long-term care systems. Considering the heterogeneity in the Region, we propose a strategy based on three components: (i) understanding the problem; (ii) thinking about solutions; and (iii) building support and consensus.

This paper examines inequalities in income security in later age. Three dimensions of inequality are considered: (i) inequalities in access to income support across countries and types of schemes; (ii) inequalities in the level of support within countries; and (iii) trends in gender inequality. Scheme stratification reinforces inequalities across socioeconomic groups and gender.

Objective

The aim of this study is to describe the mortality among older adults in the first wave of COVID-19 in Colombia and Mexico.

Methods

This is an observational, prospective study on data obtained from open data sets that are publicly available on the websites of the health ministries of the respective countries. COVID-19 cases, age, sex, date to mortality, and mortality itself were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regressions.

Objectives

Identify the factors associated with future functional dependence in the elderly in Mexico and with receiving or not receiving support for basic activities of daily living (ADLs); and project the prevalence of functional dependence in 2026.

Objective

To determine whether there is a relationship between physical mobility and lack of social support in elderly people living in high Andean communities in Peru.

Objective

To identify the main factors associated with disability in older adults in Colombia, adjusted according to structural and intermediary determinants of healthy aging.

Objectives

To describe the current state of the population aged 60 years and older in Colombia and to determine the Active Aging Index (AAI) and assess its domains.

Methods

Based on data collected during the national survey of health, well-being, and aging conducted in Colombia in 2015 (known as SABE Colombia 2015), the AAI for Colombia was calculated using the methodology applied in the countries of the European Union, with the same four domains. The methodology was adapted to the data provided by the survey and to the Colombian context.

Objective

To identify how patterns of family economic support help alleviate the cumulative effects of inequality, with focus on the financial support that children give their elderly parents.

The UN General Assembly in September 2021 will bring countries together at a critical time for marshalling collective action to tackle the global environmental crisis. They will meet again at the biodiversity summit in Kunming, China, and the climate conference (COP26) in Glasgow, UK. Ahead of these pivotal meetings, we—the editors of health journals worldwide—call for urgent action to keep average global temperature increases below 1.5°C, halt the destruction of nature, and protect health.