Colombo Declaration unites South-East Asia for healthy ageing

By Divya Thotawatte 

Uniting around the goal of promoting healthy ageing, Health Ministers of member states of the World Health Organisation (WHO) South East Asia Region adopted the Colombo Declaration on Tuesday. 

The Colombo Declaration on ‘Healthy ageing through strengthened primary health care’ was endorsed by the 78th Session of the WHO Regional Committee held in Sri Lanka. It is aimed at the health and wellbeing of the ageing population of the region, and this approach and focus will be adopted by countries, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, North Korea, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor Leste.   

This initiative was taken in recognition of the region’s rapid demographic shift, with the population aged 60 years and above protected to nearly double, from 11.3% in 2024 to 20.9% in 2050. Ministers emphasised that this demographic shift was both a reflection of progress and a call to adapt health systems to new realities. 

“Older people are rights-holders and valuable members of society, and that optimising intrinsic capacity and functional ability across the life-course is central to achieving healthy ageing,” the statement affirms. 

The Colombo Declaration outlines 10 core commitments:

1. Embed healthy ageing in national policies and primary health care (PHC)-oriented

2. Combat ageism through laws, inclusive policies, public sensitisation, education, and intergenerational initiatives 

3. Ensure health sector leadership while multisectoral coordination 

4. Prioritise and allocate adequate resources for policies and programs targeting older people 

5. Deliver integrated, right-based, person-centred and gender sensitive care 

6. Strengthen the health and care workforce 

7. Strengthen age-and-sex-disaggregated data systems 

8. Create inclusive, age-friendly environments 

9. Harness digital health and innovation 

10. Promote research and knowledge exchange 

WHO South-East Asia Officer-In-Charge Dr. Catharina Boehme said, “This is a unique moment for the Region to celebrate and a first globally ... for healthy ageing through strategic primary care. Thanks to the historic foresight of Sri Lanka in making this an important topic.” 

She explained that when older people were healthy and maintained functional abilities, they remained valuable assets who strengthened families, communities, and economies. She added that primary health care was therefore the most effective and inclusive path to achieving universal health coverage and ensuring that older adults can lead long, healthy, and meaningful lives. 

“Lasting progress will depend on increased domestic investment. Healthy ageing must be embedded in national budgets, health plans, and social protection systems. Broader partnerships are essential,” Boehme explained, adding, “Development banks, civil society, the private sector, academic institutions, and philanthropies have vital roles to play in mobilising resources, driving innovation, and scaling solutions.” 

During this regional committee in Colombo, WHO also launched the Regional Youth Council. 

Speaking on the significance of this declaration, Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa

 said that the issue of elderly health was emerging as a national and regional concern with improved longevity.  

“This is of special importance for Sri Lanka as we are predicted to have 1 in 4 Sri Lankans aged 65 years or older by 2045, making ours the fastest ageing population in South Asia. Therefore, it is crucial to improve health services and social care for our elders as many older people are facing challenges in getting the support and health care they deserve.” 

Health and Mass Media Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe also spoke at the event, noting that in Sri Lanka, ageing has coincided with a rise in non-communicable diseases in the country. He said that this required a reversal of the health pyramid. “Ideally, care should begin at the primary level and only move upwards,” Jayasinghe said, adding that Sri Lanka’s system functioned the opposite way, and that the country needed to start care at the primary level to achieve its health goals.  

– Pix by Ruwan Walpola