Jakarta, The PRAKARSA - Rapid population aging presents both challenges and opportunities, requiring a comprehensive rethinking of the issue of aging.
The PRAKARSA also attended the event Asia-Pacific Regional Conference (APRC) on Population Aging in 2024 held in Nusa Dua, Badung, Bali, on Wednesday-Thursday (11-13/09/2024). This activity brought together more than 450 people from experts, policy makers, international organizations, UN members, and civil society organizations in the Asia Pacific region.
The PRAKARSA seeing the APRC conference as important because it brings together various parties in an effort to find solutions to population aging. "Where the population over the age of 65, both globally in the world and regionally in the Asia Pacific region, including Indonesia, is expected to grow faster than the population under the age," explained Eka Afrina, Research and Knowledge Manager of The PRAKARSA.
This meeting is expected to strengthen multi-party collaboration in facing the challenges of population aging and encourage inclusive and sustainable policy innovation for the elderly.
Eka said, in Indonesia itself, in 2023, it is estimated that more than 32,5 million Indonesians will be elderly. For that reason, the issue of elderly and the economy of care or care economy has been included in the social transformation agenda in Indonesia's 2025-2045 National Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPN), which states, improving an inclusive environment for children, the elderly, people with disabilities, women and other vulnerable groups.
"Not only the central government, the activity also specifically discussed the important role of local governments in facing the challenges of aging and inclusive development. This forum is a place to exchange ideas and strengthen strategic collaboration in the Asia-Pacific region," added Eka.
The activity was also filled with parallel discussion sessions that discussed several themes, including: active and productive aging, climate change and population aging, communities and aging societies, technology and aging, social protection and aging societies, and caring societies.
In addition to discussions, participants were also invited to go on field visits to see various community initiatives in creating protection for the elderly through Integrated Elderly Services (LLT). LLT is a pilot program carried out in several regions to improve elderly-friendly areas. This is one of the concrete steps to create a healthy, productive elderly population, in accordance with Presidential Regulation No. 8 of 2021 concerning the National Strategy for Elderly.
Another issue that is widely discussed is protection in the elderly, where in various regions in Asia Pacific. "This is in line with the policy advocacy that continues to be carried out by The PRAKARSA to ensure this group is protected. This is because Indonesia also faces challenges in providing social protection, one of which is pension insurance in old age. It is hoped that in the future there will be concrete steps for various initiatives that can support the fulfillment of the rights of the elderly," concluded Eka.