10-4
Chapter One
WORLD POLICIES
ON AGING AND
THE UNITED NATIONS
ALEXANDRE SIDORENKO
For those who have been following the international vocabulary on aging during the
past decade or two, its transformation is obvious-from negative and pessimistic to
positive and forward-looking. Of course, this does not mean that reaching a secure,
healthy, and dignified old age has become a universal blessing and ubiquitous achievement.
This is definitely not the case in many countries of sub-Saharan Africa, where
life expectancy may not exceed thirty-three years (as in Swaziland), or in the countries
of the former Soviet Union, where for millions of middle-age people the progression
into old age coincided with the hardship of societal transformation. And throughout
the world, too often older persons are left on their own to adjust to changes associa ... read full excerpt from Global Health and Global Aging ebook
