World Health Organization

Aging populations refer to populations in which a significant portion of the demography is aged 60 and older, while the proportion of younger people is on a decline. Increasing life expectancies, decreasing fertility rates, and improving quality of life enable aging populations to grow. Aging populations are particularly prevalent in developing regions, but even more developed nations still face similar impacts of increasing life expectancies.

Geriatrics is the medical field focused on providing health and care for people aged 60 and over, specializing in age-related health issues such as chronic conditions and syndromes, as well as preventive medicine. This field often involves collaboration across various health professions, including doctors, nurses, therapists, and social workers.

Ageism refers to the discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypes against others based on age. In an increasingly aging society, older individuals are facing various public health issues and navigating age-based challenges when participating in daily life. In extreme circumstances such as armed conflict or humanitarian aid, ageism may even lead to human rights violations such as age-based discrimination, social and political exclusion, abuse, neglect in refugee camps, and barriers to healthcare and essential services (“Rights of Older People | Human Rights Watch”).

A healthcare professional is defined as an individual who can study, diagnose, treat, and prevent human illness, injury, and physical/mental impairments. Examples of healthcare professionals include doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists, psychologists, and pharmacists.

Becoming a healthcare professional typically requires approximately 6-10 years of undergraduate education, postgraduate education, and hands-on experience (such as residency), depending on the role. Few countries’ governments, such as the governments of Russia and Germany, offer financial support to become a doctor. Medical professions favor the wealthy who can afford the time and money for medical school, which could be spent working to support themselves and their families. In addition, medical schools and medical training programs have historically favored males, as demonstrated by the relationship between the Gender Inequality Index Ranks throughout past decades and the percentage of female medical students. From 1993-2010, there has been very little increase in females who attend medical school in most nations. Unchanging societal expectations and gender norms continue to discourage females from pursuing healthcare education.

In the 1960s and 1970s, doctor emigrations caused doctor shortages in countries such as Thailand, Cuba, India, and the Philippines. These shortages remain unsolved, considering how difficult it has been to enroll in medical education in developing countries due to factors such as high tuition costs, limited availability of medical schools, lack of government funding, and systematic barriers such as gender inequality and rural inaccessibility. Some countries, such as Thailand, have attempted to establish more medical programs, provide scholarships, develop rural health development programs, and create accelerated medical training programs to alleviate the shortage; however, most developing nations do not have the resources to replicate Thailand’s efforts.

Disaster relief refers to the immediate action taken to mitigate a disaster’s effects on individuals and communities by providing essential needs: food, water, shelter, clothing, and medical supplies. Disaster relief requires highly coordinated and pre-prepared responses from government, local, and international relief organizations.

The first recorded incident of international humanitarian assistance for a natural disaster dates back to the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake, where a comprehensive effort from states including Britain, Spain, and the Netherlands set a precedent for multi-state emergency responses. By 1863, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was founded, originally focused on wartime aid but later shifting its focus to humanitarian responses for natural disasters. Since then, various organizations have been created to provide healthcare for communities impacted by disaster.