Americas face long-term care gap as population ages

A joint report by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) warns that fragmented services and insufficient public financing are leaving families to bear the primary burden of long-term care in the Americas.

Projections indicate that by 2050, 306 million people in the region, representing more than one in four residents, will be aged 60 or older. This demographic shift is expected to significantly increase the demand for care services designed to maintain autonomy and quality of life.

While 88 percent of surveyed countries have included long-term care in their national legislation or policies, only 15 of the 35 PAHO member states possess a formal, publicly funded system. Furthermore, only seven of 27 responding countries reported legal recognition for informal caregivers and the provision of support entitlements. The economic value of informal care is estimated to be between 0.8 percent and 4.9 percent of annual GDP.