Coping with population aging in the old continent--the need for european academic geriatrics.

Abstract

N 1999, Europe had a total population of 728 million, of which 14% was over 65 years of age (Table 1) (1). Between 1999 and 2050, the expected increases of the 60 and 80 European populations should rise by 160% and 158%, respectively (Table 2) (2). These demographic changes affect Europe as a whole. However, European aging research has traditionally not been coordinated by a single centralized agency but by multiple local, national, or multinational organizations. New initiatives, such as the ongoing 5th European Community program, “Improving the Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources,” have attempted to address this issue by requiring concerted international efforts in research and data collection that necessitate closer collaboration between institutions and researchers across Europe. Similar projects and further development of European-funded programs should be encouraged. The new generation of academic geriatricians will need to be freely mobile across European borders. Yet, teaching and training programs in geriatrics and gerontology vary markedly from one country to another. European organizations that are currently active in geriatrics and gerontology (e.g., the International Association of Gerontology, the Geriatric Medicine Section of the European Union of Medical Specialists, the European Academy of the Yuste Foundation, and the European Academy for Medicine of Aging) will need to work together to ensure recognition of the field and unified accreditation processes across Europe. In the 1980s, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) was among the first UN bodies to recognize the importance of population aging as a social, economic, and demographic phenomenon (3). This formidable demographic change will result in increased demands for health care services from an ever-increasing elderly population. Although the European Community (EC) may serve as a catalyst to harmonize existing health care policies for the elderly population, current health care systems differ markedly among different European countries (4). Furthermore, most European countries do not yet belong to the EC. Further public health research and increased knowledge of geriatric diseases and syndromes are required to help determine the best options for the future. At the same time, physicians will need to develop improved knowledge and skills in the medicine of aging, and medical schools urgently need to strengthen the geriatrics content of undergraduate and postgraduate curricula. Most will need to hire qualified teachers in the field. Unfortunately, the number of skilled researchers and trained academicians in gerontology and geriatrics is currently insufficient to respond to this challenge.