Havana, Cuba.-Alberto Fernandez, head of the Elderly Care Department at the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), has recognized today the priority the Cuban health system has provided to the care of the elderly in the island .

Taking into account that about 19.8 percent of the population (two million people) is over 60 years old, the government has been dealing with the aging of the society, Fernandez said in the context of the International Colloquium on Gerontology.

To give you an idea, Cuba has aged in 50 years, while France has done so in 400 years, he stated to the delegates from 15 countries attending the Conference Center in Cojimar, east of Havana.

The council of ministers approved in October 2014 the policy to face up that reality, with the participation of all agencies.

According to Fernandez, the strengthening of the primary care -as the main scenario- with the participation of the family doctor’s office, which is in charge of conducting periodic examinations, is among the actions.

The challenge of our society is to improve the care of the elderly, he concluded after speaking in the event, sponsored by the International Federation of Associations of the Elderly (FIAPA) and the CITED.

The event brings together delegates from France, Italy, Spain, China and Canada, Mauritius Islands, the United Kingdom, St. Martin, Martinique, Cameroon, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and the host nation until Thursday, April 6th.