Context: Recently, the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has released INDIA REPORT on Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI).

Key Highlights

• It covered a baseline sample of 72,250 individuals aged 45 and above and their spouses including 31,464 elderly persons aged 60 and above and 6,749 oldest-old persons aged 75 and above.
• The baseline samples were covered from all States and Union Territories (UTs) of India (excluding Sikkim).
• The evidence from LASI will be used to further strengthen and broaden the scope of National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly.
• The LASI has embraced state-of-the-art large-scale survey protocols and field implementation strategies including representative sample of India and its States.
• The report stated that 75% of the elderly in India suffer from one or the other chronic disease, 40% have a disability and 20% go through issues related to mental health.
• In India, the self-reported prevalence of diagnosed cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is 28% among older adults age 45 and above.
• The prevalence of CVDs increases with age from 22% among those in age 45-59 to 34% among those in age 60-74, and further to 37% among those age 75 and above.
• It found that more than a half of elderly age 60 and above in the states/UTs of Goa (60%), Kerala (57%), Chandigarh (55%), Andaman & Nicobar (51%), and Jammu & Kashmir (51%) reported that they have been diagnosed with CVDs.
• It highlighted that around a third (32%) of elderly age 60 and above have been diagnosed with hypertension, 5.2% were diagnosed with chronic heart disease and 2.7% with stroke.
• The self-reported prevalence of diabetes mellitus among older adults age 45-59 is 9% and among the elderly age 60 and above is 14%.
• It highlighted that in India, 26% of older adults age 45 and above reported that they have been diagnosed with single morbidity and 18% have been diagnosed with multi-morbidities.

What is Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI)?

• It is a full–scale national survey of scientific investigation of the health, economic, and social determinants and consequences of population ageing in India.
• The National Programme for Health Care of Elderly, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has undertaken the Longitudinal Ageing Study of India.
• The other partners were International Institute for Population Sciences, (IIPS), Harvard School of Public Health, University of Southern California, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and National Institute on Ageing.
• It is India’s first and the world’s largest ever survey that provides a longitudinal database for designing policies and programmes for the older population.
• The unique feature of LASI is the coverage of comprehensive biomarkers.

About National Programme for Health Care of Elderly

• The programme is being implemented under the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) flexible pool within the overarching umbrella of the National Health Mission for Districts and below in the States.

Vision: To provide accessible, affordable, and high-quality long-term, comprehensive and dedicated care services to an Ageing population. 

• Creating a new “architecture” for Ageing.
• To build a framework to create an enabling environment for “a Society for all Ages”.
• To promote the concept of Active and Healthy Ageing.

Funding Pattern: The Centre bears 75% of the total budget and the State Government contributes 25% of the budget, for activities up to district level.

• Eligible Beneficiary: All elderly People (above 60 Years) in the country.
• Types of Benefits: Free, Specialized health care facilities exclusively for the elderly people through the State health delivery system.