Combating Ageism in Healthcare

Combating ageism was recognised as one of the four priority areas for action in the Decade of Healthy Ageing: 2021–2030, a global strategy and action plan on ageing and health and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Ageism can influence society’s attitudes regarding its older population, as well as impacting the self-perception of older people toward themselves. Ageism can be very damaging to health and well-being and acts as a major barrier to enacting effective policies and taking action on healthy ageing. The progressive aging of the Malaysian population brings along the subject of biases against older persons.