| Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC March 13, 2007 Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt To Address Summit on Global AgingThe Department of State is holding a half-day Summit on Global Aging, March 15, from 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m., at the Department of State. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will deliver the keynote address to the Summit and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt will give opening remarks. Led by Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, Paula J. Dobriansky, the Summit will include distinguished experts from government, universities, and the private sector as panelists. In many parts of the world, people are living longer and healthier lives. For the first time in history, people 65 years old and over will soon outnumber children under age 5. But the added years of life, a crowning achievement of the 20th century, also pose significant challenges. As the world's population ages, the prevalence of chronic disease increases. Insurance, pensions, and other social support systems are strained. Many governments, both in the developed and developing worlds, are beginning to recognize that global aging can affect economic growth, labor force, trade, migration, international relations, and national security. International cooperation will help countries plan and better address our common concern for the issues related to worldwide aging. By convening the Summit on Global Aging, the United States wishes to catalyze greater international dialogue and encourage coordinated international studies about the health, economic, social, and security implications of this important issue. A State Department Fact Sheet is available at http://www.state.gov/g/oes/rls/fs/2007/80940.htm. Additional information on the global aging issue is available in the report issued jointly by the Department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging: Why Population Aging Matters: A Global Perspective. The Report is also available at http://www.state.gov/g/oes/rls/or/81537.htm. 2007/185
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