Svenska Dagbladet, December 8 2014 India learns from Swedish research The number of people on earth who are older than 60 years are expected to increase from 841 million in 2013 to over 2 billion by 2050, according to UN projections. In addition 80 percent of the elderly will be living in less developed regions. At the invitation of the Indian Science Council, a Swedish delegation with representatives from the research council Forte just visited India along with minister of health Gabriel Wikström. The purpose is to discuss a broad research collaboration to manage the countrys galloping care needs. - There are a number of very populous countries that are now very suddenly affected by the age shock. Until very recently almost no one got older than 60 years in India, and those who did could afford to be treated at expensive clinics, says Eva Ställdal who is the Director General of Forte. One of the major threats that come with an aging population is that more are likely to get dementia. The risk increases with age and among those who are over 90 years about 50 percent are affected. Sweden is ahead in the development but India is following the same path and wants now to take part of Swedish experience. - Sweden has unique skills in research but also in terms of treatment and assistive technology, says Eva Ställdal. The Swedish delegation included several major research centers at various universities, including AgeCap at the University of Gothenburg and units at KTH and Karolinska Institutet. An example of the almost infinite needs in India is that the whole country only has ten trained geriatricians. In Sweden there are about 500 such specialist physicians specializing in the care of aging. But now India is planning a mega venture in which ten different research institutions are going to be built, just in New Delhi. The next step in the Swedish-Indian cooperation, which is actively supported by Indias health minister, is to initiate joint research projects with researchers in Sweden and India. One example is that India expressed its wish to add 60,000 Indian participants to the worlds leading study on elderly which has been going on for four decades in Gothenburg and currently includes data on a few thousand Swedes. - Sweden and India have had a good and long relationship through the previous work done to reduce child mortality. Now that problem is under control and there is interest in the country to move forward with a similar cooperation on the elderly, says Eva Ställdal.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 09:07:03 +0000
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