A national policy on senior citizens has been publicized for the first time in the Maldives.

Basic rights of senior citizens, the priorities that come under this policy for them and objectives behind this policy are stated in the protocol inducted by the Ministry of Gender and Family.

The ministry stated that the objective for the policy is to tackle social and economic challenges senior citizens face, to enhance their security, to find a way to better involve them within the society and to pave way for a comfortable, blissful life for senior citizens.

While the population of the elderly is growing the ministry notes that the challenges they face grow daily and they are being seen cast aside at times. 

Under this policy, senior citizens will be able to live a privileged life with health assurance along with a pledge of protection and assurance that all of their rights will be guaranteed to them.

According to the Ministry, this policy comes under the resolution "United Nations Principles for Older Persons" adopted on the 16th of December 1991, the "Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Resolution" from 2015-2030 and "WHO Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Aging and Health" adopted from 2016-2020 by the World Health Organization.

According to WHO's latest analysis, estimated count of elderly persons in 2015 was 900 million and by the time the year 2050 rolls around, the amount is estimated to rise to 2 billion.

In the Census conducted in the Maldives in 2014, persons who reach over 45 years of age will be twofold more than persons below the age and within the next 25 years, person above the age of 65 are estimated to reach over 65,000.