Population Ageing: A Growing Public Health Challenge

The Minister of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dubravka Bošnjak, met with a representative of the Association Partnership for Public Health to discuss opportunities for strengthening cooperation in the field of healthy and active ageing. On that occasion, she emphasized that the rapid ageing of the population requires a coordinated response from the health, social welfare, and education sectors.

The Association's Executive Director, Sejdefa Bašić-Hadžiavdić, presented the organization's activities, the development of the network of Healthy Ageing Centres, and plans to organize the Healthy Ageing Conference in October 2026.

Minister Bošnjak stressed that the Ministry of Civil Affairs recognizes healthy ageing as one of the key public health priorities and that the challenges posed by demographic ageing cannot be addressed solely through the healthcare system.

"Population ageing requires coordinated action by the health, social welfare, and education sectors, as well as local communities. It is essential to create conditions that enable older people to remain actively engaged in society while preserving their quality of life," Minister Bošnjak stated.

She added that, although the Ministry of Civil Affairs does not have direct responsibility for the organization of healthcare services in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it can provide support through inter-institutional coordination, international cooperation, the exchange of best practices, and by connecting domestic institutions with international partners.

The meeting also addressed opportunities for accessing funding under the European Union's EU4Health programme, the EU's largest health programme for the 2021–2027 period. The programme supports projects focused on health promotion, disease prevention, the digital transformation of healthcare systems, and strengthening health system capacities.

Civil society organizations and healthcare institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina are eligible to participate in projects promoting healthy lifestyles, preventing chronic diseases, and developing innovative models of support for older people.

For more than two decades, the Association Partnership for Public Health has been active in the field of public health promotion. Its flagship initiative is the network of Healthy Ageing Centres, of which around 30 are currently operating across Bosnia and Herzegovina. These centres promote physical activity, disease prevention, lifelong learning, volunteering, and the social inclusion of older people.

Like most European countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing a rapidly ageing population, bringing new challenges for both the healthcare and social welfare systems. Increased life expectancy, combined with the rising prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases and growing demand for long-term care, requires the development of policies that preserve the health, functional ability, and quality of life of older people. An effective response to these challenges calls for coordinated action by the health, social welfare, and education systems, local communities, and civil society organizations, with a strong focus on prevention, active ageing, and cross-sectoral cooperation.

Healthy ageing is one of the priorities of the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021–2030, a global initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations to improve the health, functional ability, and quality of life of older people worldwide.