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The mission of the NBR Center for Health and Aging (CHA) is to connect people and ideas for a healthier world. Toward this end, CHA coordinates innovative research and dialogue on the demographic, economic, social, political, and medical trends related to health and aging in the Asia-Pacific region. In addition, by convening meetings such as the Pacific Health Summit, CHA brings together world leaders to discuss how to realize the dream of a healthier future through the effective utilization of scientific advances combined with appropriate policies for prevention, early detection, and early treatment of disease.
A "health explosion" has begun to rock Asia, one ignited entirely by declining mortality due to dramatic improvements in health and, thus, increased life expectancy. The figures are truly staggering. The number of people aged 60 years or over in Asia is forecast to double from 296 million today to 572 million by the year 2021. While China and Japan face perhaps the biggest aging challenge, other Asian societies such as South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand are major contributors to the Asian health explosion. Infectious diseases are a continuing menace to all people. To an unprecedented extent, issues related to diseases such as HIV/AIDS, SARS, and Avian Influenza are on the agendas of world leaders, health policymakers, and philanthropies. Chronic diseases, too, are a threat as diabetes and obesity, as well as cancer and cardiovascular disease, become more prevalent throughout the region.
For the United States, virtually every facet of our strategic interest—political, social, economic, and military—will be affected by the health and aging issues that are now beginning to reverberate throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
The NBR Center for Health and Aging has three goals:
Our efforts at CHA target the following audiences:
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