About 7.6% of India's population is above 60 years old. The elderly in India face multiple social, political, economic and cultural challenges including suboptimal financial security, decline of traditional extended family systems due to rural-urban migration of young people, and increasing costs of health care. In India, as is the case in many developing countries, the health systems are inadequate to promote, support and protect health and social well-being of the elderly due in part to lack of human and financial resources. The elderly find themselves exposed to harsh realities of globalization; changes in cultural values and beliefs, high disease burden from chronic noncommunicable diseases, and weak family and social welfare system. To address the health and welfare needs of this vulnerable section of society, the Government of India in 1999 developed and adopted the National Policy for Older Persons. A National Council for Older Persons and an Inter-Ministerial Committee was set up to implement the policy directions. To date, Government of India with its partners, have introduced Ageing Int (
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