NEW YORK, United States: More than a third of countries reporting resource data have little or no dedicated resources for long-term care, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in an update on gaps in support for older people.
The agency’s October 1, 2026 update put that share at 33.8%. Only 22.7% of reporting countries can track older people’s health over time, limiting the information available to shape services.
Okay News reports that the findings come from the midpoint report on the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing, 2021–2030, which was transmitted to the UN General Assembly on September 28.
The percentages measure countries’ reported policies, resources and data capacity. They do not describe the proportion of older people receiving care.
There has also been progress. National long-term-care policies are now reported by 56.7% of countries, compared with 49% in 2023. Programmes supporting age-friendly environments and comprehensive assessments of older people are each reported by 54.6%.
Ritu Sadana, head of WHO’s Secretariat for the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, said: “The second half of this Decade must turn commitments into results, in every country.”
The agency’s accompanying briefing calls for better-resourced implementation, with particular attention to long-term care in low- and middle-income countries. It also records a decline in national forums bringing together groups working on ageing, from 53.1% of countries in 2020 to 43.3%.
