TY - JOUR
T1 - Geriatrics in Brazil
T2 - A big country with big opportunities
AU - Garcez-Leme, Luiz E.
AU - Leme, Mariana Deckers
AU - Espino, David V.
PY - 2005/11/1
Y1 - 2005/11/1
N2 - Brazil has approximately 180 million inhabitants, of whom 15.2 million are aged 60 and older and 1.9 million are aged 80 and older. By 2025, the Brazilian elderly population is expected to grow to more than 32 million. Brazil has many problems related to its geographic and population size. Great distances between major cities, marked cultural and racial heterogeneity between the various geographic regions, high poverty levels, and decreasing family size all combine to put pressure on the medical and social services that can be made available to the elder population. Less than 500 Brazilian physicians are certified as geriatricians, translating into one geriatrician for every 37,000 elderly Brazilians. Beside 15 geriatric medicine residencies a larger number of fellowship programs exist, and these programs are in high demand, with more than 20 candidates per position, indicating new opportunities for growth in elder care. In addition, geriatric initiatives such as the annual elder vaccination program and the elder statute, recently approved by the Brazilian Congress, indicate that geriatric care in Brazil is entering a new era of growth and development. Although the challenges remain great, there are opportunities for Brazilian geriatrics and gerontology.
AB - Brazil has approximately 180 million inhabitants, of whom 15.2 million are aged 60 and older and 1.9 million are aged 80 and older. By 2025, the Brazilian elderly population is expected to grow to more than 32 million. Brazil has many problems related to its geographic and population size. Great distances between major cities, marked cultural and racial heterogeneity between the various geographic regions, high poverty levels, and decreasing family size all combine to put pressure on the medical and social services that can be made available to the elder population. Less than 500 Brazilian physicians are certified as geriatricians, translating into one geriatrician for every 37,000 elderly Brazilians. Beside 15 geriatric medicine residencies a larger number of fellowship programs exist, and these programs are in high demand, with more than 20 candidates per position, indicating new opportunities for growth in elder care. In addition, geriatric initiatives such as the annual elder vaccination program and the elder statute, recently approved by the Brazilian Congress, indicate that geriatric care in Brazil is entering a new era of growth and development. Although the challenges remain great, there are opportunities for Brazilian geriatrics and gerontology.
KW - Brazil
KW - Demograph
KW - Elderly
KW - Geriatrics
KW - Health policies
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=29244490626&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2005.53557.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2005.53557.x
M3 - Review article
C2 - 16274389
AN - SCOPUS:29244490626
VL - 53
SP - 2018
EP - 2022
JO - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
JF - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
SN - 0002-8614
IS - 11
ER -