title: Medical and Assistive Health Technology: Meeting the Needs of Aging Populations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify policy gaps in the delivery and availability of assistive health technology (AHT) and medical devices (MD) for aging populations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
  
  
  METHODS
  The findings presented in this paper are the results of several narrative overviews. They provide a contextual analysis of the conclusions and evidence from WHO commissioned research and expert consultations in 2013 and 2014, as well as a synthesis of literature reviews conducted on AHT and MD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Practical, life-enhancing support for older people through AHT, MD, and related health and social services is a neglected issue. This is particularly so in LMICs where the biggest increases in aging populations are occurring, and yet where there is commonly little or no access to these vital components of healthy aging.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health technologies, especially medical and assistive health technology, are essential to ensure older people's dignity and autonomy, but their current and potential benefits have received little recognition in LMICs. Viewing these technologies as relevant only to disabled people is an inadequate approach. They should be accessible to both older adults with disabilities and older adults with functional limitation. Many countries need much greater official awareness of older adults' needs and preferences. Such attitudinal changes should then be reflected in laws and regulations to address the specificities of care for older people.
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization Centre for Health Development, Kobe, Japan. garconl@who.int.
authors.forename: Loïc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Garçon
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Chapal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Khasnabis
authors.affiliation: Tech4life, Caloundra, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Lloyd
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakatani
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization Centre for Health Development, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Jostacio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lapitan
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Borg
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization Centre for Health Development, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Velazquez Berumen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001364:Awareness; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D012656:Self-Help Devices
keywords: Disabilities; Function/mobility; Health policy; Technology