Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the health status, health-seeking behaviour, and socio-economic support for the ageing population in Pakistan. All these factors are with regard to the social health protection of the elderly, which is an ignored area in Pakistan. The methodology of this study encompasses two main components: a quantitative study based on the analysis of data from the Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey (PSLM) 2012-13, and a qualitative part on the perspectives of healthcare providers in both public and the private sector. The ageing population in this study is defined as the population of age 60 and over, a standard set by WHO. The findings from both quantitative and the qualitative study reveals the ageing population in Pakistan is very vulnerable with regard to health and physical care. There is no mechanism for their social health protection with very few government and non-governmental agencies providing health services to the elderly having limited coverage. This situation demands a proper system of social health protection for the ageing population which will protect elderly from being vulnerable to poor health.