Older persons’ right to health – a challenge to international law

Abstract

Over the next 30 years, the number of people aged over 65 will exceed the number of children worldwide. Moreover, people at extreme old age will constitute a significant group of older adults. Undoubtedly, global ageing appears as a great challenge to the whole international community in relation to the protection of rights of older persons, including their right to health. The last one is recognised on international forums as one of the most current and complex issues. Therefore, in this paper, I discuss how the right of older adults to health is protected by international norms, and identify trends and perspectives for implementing this right effectively. Examining the degree of protection, I analyse existing international instruments and their interpretation provided by international bodies. I consider that the new international developments should fill in the existing loophole in international law and oblige States to focus on elimination of ageism, age discrimination in access to health care and various barriers to enjoying the right to health by older persons.