Unforgettable people and places - Part 2

Life expectancy of South Asian countries

Gerontology is the science dealing with old age. The writer is a joint author of Jeevana yatra, a book focusing on old people and penned along with Dr. Leel Gunasekera, ex-director of HelpAge.

It is really a collection of facts cum data the resultant boredom mitigated by a literary section contributed by the writer.There is a saying that the husband is the last person to know of the wife’s infidelity.

Likewise, I was perhaps the last to delve into all the dry statistics till a package of data riveted my attention and even bolstered my ego that had been flagging. The data give the life expectancy of countries in South Asia where Lanka happens to top the list by a very large margin. Coming no 1 is certainly a big feat for a small country such as ours.

Here is the life expectancy rates of South Asian countries for 2005 - 2010: Bangladesh 65.8, Bhutan 65.8. India 67.2, Nepal 61.2, Pakistan 65.9, Maldives (Not recorded) Sri Lanka 74.8. The total average for South Asia 65.8.

Average age

Sri Lanka has gone even beyond the average, according to the statistics quoted from UN Pacific Population Projections 1994. Statistics-wise we are said to be almost on par with some developed countries in Europe, as regards this area.

Here are more details in this sector. The average age for dying among Sri Lankan males is 70 while for females it is 75. This was garnered from an earlier source and my query why this difference was answered by the fact that males are more mobile and socially active and that circumstances for death are more profuse.

To put it more clearly males, being more mobile die more on the road than females and males die more of squabbles than the milder females. (Those facts too need some query especially when roads are equally full of both genders and mothers turn killers of their own children). Reading newspapers however belie these facts.

For example, an equal number of females seem to die on the roads in accidents since their alacrity in saving themselves is less. Furthermore, women, especially young women, get killed due to amorous adventures, Facebook being the latest.

Here, one can surmise that there is no need of reaching old age to die or contract a deadly disease such as Ebola to cut short life for death can come at any moment and in different unexpected guises.

To get into a lighter vein there is the story of a man whose death had been predicted that day. “I will play out the Maraya”, he had resolved and covering himself from head to foot had stretched himself on bed never to get up till next day. But he was found dead the following morning.

A large photograph of antique façade had crashed on his head the night before, cracking his skull.

Local population

Coming back, as to population data, here are some vital facts. By 2025 local population will grow to 21 million.

It is a country in the region that shows the highest speed in ageing but it excels in poverty too, making the elderly a burden on the nation. By 2025 the ageing rate will rise to 32 percent from 14 percent now. As regards the aged number it wins third place in Asia. At present 10 percent of the population is 60 years plus.

There are more women than men in this range. Most elders, around 79, live in the Hambantota district and those in the lowest range, around 66, live in Colombo and Northern districts.

The implications of this increasing age group of elders are many and the State has already taken many a myriad measure to tackle them. Further measures to keep the old mentally contented and happy are needed and here community centres that provide reading materials, avenues for indoor games and provide better communication facilities and even initiate religious services would come in handy.

Books such as Jeevana Yatra that give a volume of information on old age should be available in these community centres. Just now they idle on bookshelves especially as they made their debut minus fanfare, a silent mode adopted by Godage, the publishers.