MEDIA RELEASE, 9 February 2000

Population Ageing One of the Challenges

The implications of New Zealand’s ageing population is a challenge the new Government will be addressing, Health Minister Annette King says.

“The positive news is that the Ministry of Health’s report shows New Zealanders are living longer lives. This means more people having the chance to know their grandparents, and developing stronger family support networks.

“It also means more people needing to use health services as they develop conditions associated with ageing.

“We are aware of the effect our aging population has on health spending. We are even more aware this pressure will continue increasing.

“We welcome the report on our ageing population. It provides us with data which identifies and quantifies the issues surrounding the increasing average age of our population.

“Having reliable information allows us to develop solutions that will work. The information will be fed into our New Zealand Health Strategy, being developed by the Ministry of Health.

“The strategy will provide a comprehensive framework to deal with New Zealand’s health problems, including pressures on the health budget. The strategy will be completed by the year’s end.”

ENDS

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