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“Action should be taken before a thing has made its appearance; order should be secured before this order has begun” Lao Tzu On behalf of the International Society for the Study of the Aging Male, it gives me great pleasure to invite you all to the “First Asian ISSAM Meeting on the Aging Male”. Due to the prolongation of life expectancy and the drastic reduction of fertility rate, it is projected that the elderly (above 65) will increase within the next 25 years by 82%, whereas the new born only by 3%. The working age population will increase by only 46%. The UN projects (in their 1998 revision) that by 2050, the proportion of persons above 60 will exceed for the first time the proportion of children below 15, and 13 countries will have more than 10% of the oldest old > 80 years old, in their population. South East Asia has not been spared from this phenomenon. Population aging represents a triumph of social development and public health. The 20th century has seen global life expectancy at birth increase by more than 30 years. Aging is now no longer the privilege of a few. It is increasingly the norm rather than the exception. Yet aging is often portrayed as a cataclysm, the tidal wave that will engulf us all. Healthy older persons are a resource for their families, their communities and the economy. In addition, in all societies, for virtually all individuals, the most valued asset for ensuring quality of life in older age is health. There is promising new progress in knowledge of how to prevent and/or deal with problems commonly associated with aging. The conventional approach of the medical, behavioral and social sciences to the problem of male aging has been for a long time the subject of oversight, absence of focusing, disconnection and most of all, lack of interdisciplinary collaboration. Ultimately, the purpose of the Programme of this meeting is to share views as how to promote health and well-being throughout the life span, thus ensuring the attainment of the best possible quality of life and health expectancy for as long as possible, for the largest possible number of older people. It is my sincere hope that this First Asian ISSAM Meeting on the Aging Male will enrich us with facts and clarify the state of our present knowledge, permit us to recognize some of the missing links and give us the tools and methodology to design and plan ways to understand aging of men, permit us to help to improve their quality of life, prevent the preventable, postpone and decrease the pain and suffering of the inevitable, and permit men to age in health and dignity. It is our sincere hope that this interdisciplinary meeting should facilitate sharing of knowledge, refreshing friendships and allow to make new ones. Prof.
Bruno Lunenfeld |
Prof.
Bruno Lunenfeld, President,