Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 May 2007
The world population is aging rapidly. The post World War II ‘baby boomers’ have benefited from improved medical science, sanitation, political freedom, and social and economic development, resulting in the knock-on demographic trend of an aging population. From a health-economic perspective, this places increasing demands on society and on health services to meet evolving medical and social needs. By 2025, over 30% of the populations of developed countries will be aged over 60 years (US Bureau of Census 2004).