Opening Remarks to the Summit on Global Aging

Paula J. Dobriansky, Undersecretary Of State for Democracy and Global Affairs

Remarks to the Summit on Global Aging

Washington, DC

March 15, 2007

Secretary Leavitt, members of the diplomatic corps, distinguished guests, and friends, thank you for participating in this Summit on Global Aging. I would like to thank all of the distinguished speakers who are here to share with us today their insights on the critical topic of global aging. And I would like to thank the team in the Office of the Science and Technology Advisor to the Secretary, the National Institute on Aging, and, in particular, my Senior Health Advisor, Jed Meline, for all their efforts in organizing this crucial gathering.

We are blessed that more and more children will have the opportunity to know and learn from their grandparents and great-grandparents. And having citizens with great experience contributing to their economies and cultures will be a boon to societies across the globe.

The changes that the aging of the population affords are wonderful. Yet, they do not come without challenges-in the cultural, economic, political and even security areas-that all of our nations will face in different times and in different ways.

Addressing the changes will take planning and action. The longer we wait, the more difficult it will be to ensure that we reap the benefits and mitigate the potential problems. That is part of the reason Secretary Rice felt it important to convene this groundbreaking Summit. Never before has the State Department hosted such an event on global aging.

The United States recognizes that the aging of populations around the world will affect both our own society and how we will interact with other nations. These profound changes are happening over years and decades, but that should not be an excuse for complacency.

Some nations have had a century to adjust to older societies; others will face the same degree of change in 20 years or even less. Together, we can act now to share what we have learned, to explore those aspects that we are uncertain about, and to devise ways to ensure that our societies benefit from the opportunities that global aging can bring. This Summit will help us move forward in that direction.

It is my honor to introduce the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Michael Leavitt. Under his leadership, the Department has been engaged for some time on this issue both here and abroad. For example, the National Institute of Aging, one of the National Institutes for Health, strives to learn the secrets contributing to a healthy old age and to find ways to extend the healthy, active years of life. The Department of Health and Human Services devotes considerable resources to issues related to aging. The NIH, for example, for example, invests annually almost $3 billion.

Secretary Leavitt strongly believes in collaboration, and that science and solutions transcend national borders. He and his Department place a high value on international research on aging, and sharing the results widely.

Updates | Frequent Questions | Contact Us | Email this Page | Subject Index | Search
The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.
About state.gov | Privacy Notice | FOIA | Copyright Information | Other U.S. Government Information

Published by the U.S. Department of State Website at http://www.state.gov maintained by the Bureau of Public Affairs.