Disability indicators and WHO programme: "health for all by the year 2000"

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Policy
• Gerontology
• Disability Studies

Background:

• The World Health Organization's "Health for All by the Year 2000" policy was adapted for Europe.
• European regional targets include "Add life to years" for the elderly and "Better opportunities for disabled persons".

Purpose of the Study:

• To review regional indicators for monitoring progress towards European health targets for the elderly and disabled.
• To assess the development of databases on the consequences of diseases, malformations, and injuries in these populations.

Main Methods:

• Review of proposed regional health indicators.
• Analysis of existing national health information systems.
• Examination of ad hoc sample surveys for data collection.
• Assessment of historical database developments concerning health outcomes.

Main Results:

• Regional indicators have been proposed to support the monitoring of European health targets.
• These indicators are either integrated into existing national health information systems or developed through surveys.
• The review considers previous developments in databases tracking health consequences in elderly and disabled individuals.

Conclusions:

• The proposed regional indicators are crucial for tracking progress in elderly and disabled care within the European "Health for All" framework.
• Effective monitoring requires robust data collection, utilizing both established national systems and targeted surveys.
• Further development of databases on health consequences is essential for informed policy and interventions.