The report highlights that demographic changes require not only adaptation but also a complete reform of healthcare, employment, and social assistance systems.
Experts are particularly concerned about the growing number of people over 75 years old, which is referred to as "aging of the aging."
From 1999 to 2022, the number of elderly people in this group increased by 150%. This category of citizens constitutes the majority of the vulnerable population in need of long-term care and constant medical assistance. However, the geriatric care system remains underdeveloped: in the country, there is only one specialized doctor for every 15,000 elderly people.
According to the study, more than 70% of pensioners receive income below the minimum subsistence level.
The difference in pensions between the capital and the regions reaches 40%. The poverty level among single elderly individuals and disabled persons exceeds 45-50%. Experts emphasize that without reforming the pension system and implementing targeted assistance, the situation will only worsen.
According to the research, 82% of elderly Kyrgyz citizens suffer from at least one chronic disease; however, the healthcare system still focuses on short-term assistance. In mountainous areas, only one-third of elderly people can access basic medical services within an hour. The report raises the issue of the need to transition to a long-term care model and integrate social and medical assistance.
45% of elderly people face employment rejection, and 38% experience bias in medical institutions.
The authors of the report consider combating ageism to be as important a task as reforming social programs, suggesting the implementation of educational campaigns and legal guarantees for equal opportunities.
The document's developers propose a new approach to aging, viewing the elderly not as objects of care but as resources for development. Among the proposed initiatives are the creation of a network of day centers, mobile geriatric teams, raising pensions to the level of the minimum subsistence, and fostering a culture of respect for elderly people.
By 2035, it is planned to reduce the poverty level among the elderly by 15%, increase healthy life expectancy by three years, and create over 5,000 jobs in the care sector.
"Aging is not the end, but a chance to build a new society where experience and care become the foundation for sustainable development," the authors of the study noted.
