The report reflects the views and experiences of older people, as expressed in consultations held in developing countries and in east and central Europe. It also draws on research carried out by HelpAge International and its network of members and partners world-wide. It shows that:

* chronic poverty blights the lives of the increasing numbers of older people in the developing world

* public services such as healthcare, HIV/AIDS programs and social security discriminate against older people

* world-wide, many older people, especially older women, suffer isolation that can result in abuse and violence

* at national and international level, governments and aid donors ignore older people's contributions and fail to provide adequate resources to meet their needs

The report analyzes the key challenges that ageing populations pose for policy makers, with regional surveys on Africa, Asia, Latin America and east and central Europe. It provides global and regional statistical data on older people and a survey of the policies on ageing adopted by national governments and donor states/agencies.

HelpAge International will be bringing a delegation of more than 50 older people from some 30 countries to participate in the NGO Forum at the World Assembly on Ageing in Madrid.

HelpAge International is a global network of not-for-profit organizations with a mission to work with and for disadvantaged older people worldwide to achieve a lasting improvement in the quality of their lives.

Key facts on ageing:

* The proportion of people world-wide aged 60 years and older is expected to more than double, from 10 to 21 percent, in the first half of the 21st century

* The proportion of older people in developing countries is expected to rise from 8 to 19 percent by 2050. The proportion of children is expected to fall from 33 to 22 percent. In Asia and Latin America the proportion of older people will rise fastest

* By 2030, three-quarters of the world's older population will live in developing countries. Their needs will create further pressures on economies with limited resources.

The Second World Assembly on Ageing

8-12 April: The UN's Second World Assembly on Ageing, to be held in Madrid, Spain, will agree on an International Strategy for Action on Ageing, setting the course of international policy for the next 20 years

5-9 April: NGO Forum on Ageing in Madrid will bring together NGO representatives from five continents

The first UN Plan on Ageing was adopted in Vienna in 1982. The agenda is now in urgent need of revision in the light of rapid demographic change and continuing poverty in the South.

www.aegis.org