ABSTRACT
Participation of the South Asian countries in the Second World Assembly on Ageing was a milestone step towards giving prominence to ageing issues at the national level. Being guided by international instruments, many of these countries moved ahead with policies and programs, but some over the years faced certain implementation challenges. During the first review of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA), many of these countries started to address the various challenges stemming from population ageing which was a new experience and identified different policy options many of that required ageing-mainstreaming efforts. It also needed a bottom-up approach to addressing the challenges and opportunities of ageing which this chapter highlights and comments on. The second appraisal of MIPAA brought attention to the priorities set forth at the respective national levels and different policy interventions undertaken notwithstanding the weakness in the implementation process over the years in this century and identifying the limitations the countries faced in human, financial, and institutional capacities. The chapter outlines the various strategies adopted by different countries as they faced demographic and epidemiological shifts. The third appraisal of MIPAA brought to light attempts at improving the quality of life of older persons, and the chapter takes into account the successful measures as well as limitations faced by the region. As we move on with the fourth review, the chapter highlights the opportunities which the region has in building synergies to advance the ageing agenda. It recognises the specific countries’ responses to ageing as a development issue and reviews what is already in place and what kind of future directions the different nations are taking.
