Princess Haya calls for greater focus on care for elderly

The wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said it is a collective responsibility of those living in the country to care for the elderly, both now and in the future.

Princess Haya of Jordan tells a conference that the elderly living longer is a big challenge for the health service. Courtesy Wam

DUBAI // Princess Haya bint Al Hussein has said that the nation’s ageing population is one of the most significant health challenges facing the country.

On Thursday, the wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said it is a collective responsibility of those living in the country to care for the elderly, both now and in the future.

“There is growing evidence that the current local system will be unsustainable if not changed over the next 20 years,” she said. “Health care is changing. And most of these changes are the effect of ageing.”

Princes Haya, the chairwoman of Dubai Healthcare City Authority, gave the keynote speech at the Leaders in Health Care conference, which this year focused on geriatric care in the Middle East.

She joked that she could relate to an ageing population, telling delegates: “Like Arab Health, I have just had my 40th birthday. Surprisingly it was far less painful procedure than I expected it to be.”

However, she said an ageing population is a serious matter that need to be addressed urgently.

Those over the age of 60 make up a little more than 1 per cent of the UAE population, but their numbers are growing rapidly. Delegates heard this is expected to increase to 34 per cent by 2050.

With the number of elderly people requiring health care set to soar, the Emirate needs to better its infrastructure to provide the right and best care for its ageing population, she said.

“The UAE has come far in its delivery of healthcare,” she said. “However of course there remains much to do.”

“It is a truth that we are getting older. Today approximately 12 per cent of the world’s population are aged 60 or over. That is roughly 800 million people — a number forecast to be 1.4 billion by 2030.

“Although it is difficult to be exact it is likely 25 per cent of the world’s population will be over the age of 60 by 2050. That is over 2 billion people.”

Ageing affects all countries, she said.

“No country is immune. Of course an ageing population is good and living longer is a sign of progress and something we should be proud of. However, with ageing comes declining health that stretches healthcare resources.”

This will lead to a crisis in the future of healthcare if not addressed, she said.

“To make our healthcare system sustainable and future proof we must understand the challenge an ageing population presents to our healthcare and welfare systems. We must have clear visions of what these systems will look like in the next three to four decades.

“We must take an undertaking of the needs of older people which cannot be done without their direct involvement in the design and delivery of services that meets their needs.”

A healthy ageing population will help the UAE in its vision to become a leader in healthcare, she said.

“Across the Emirates, particularly in Dubai, we are concentrating on delivering the best healthcare possible in close collaboration with you — our talented healthcare professionals in keeping our nation healthy and disease free. Together with our partners we strive to deliver patient centred care.

“As we are often reminded by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, success does not come easily and certainly requires more than just luck.

“It requires a good strategy with clear objectives and the right financial and human resources, careful planning, focus and dedication. But most of all it requires desire and dedication.”

Speaking about lifestyle diseases, Princess Haya urged everyone to take care of themselves and maintain a healthy lifestyle — pointing to the “sobering statistic” that 36 per cent of deaths in Emirates are due to heart attacks and diabetes.

She added that healthcare systems must be transparent to ensure patient safety and trust, she said, while a strong digital background is needed to allow for the easy exchange of information and to strengthen healthcare systems.

Princess Haya also addressed the need for more studies and data to support an evolving healthcare system.

“We are now in a position to significantly increase the number of peer reviewed publications collecting statistics and data on diseases relevant to our population. We must create our own world of data and forge ahead.”

She also spoke about a struggle to train and recruit specialists leading to shortage.

“We need to encourage a generation who all have their own place in the healthcare spectrum,” she said.

Princess Haya said the UAE had plans in place to build educational institutions to train home-grown talent.

“All of this framework will take us far. But only so far. To go further we need to create a climate, a real climate of change.”

She asked the audience to consider two important questions.

“If you lost your respected elder early on in life — what would you be most proud of if they came back today? The second is as you progress in life what is the truest lesson — one that maybe stemmed from regret — that you have learnt?”

She recounted her husband’s answer to the first question.

“He said if His Highness Sheikh Rashid or His Highness Sheikh Zayed would come back today, he would not show them the tall buildings or the cutting edge modern infrastructure around the city. He would show them the real achievements of those that have touched the lives of human beings for the better.”