Industry alerts policymakers to devices as population ages:

The European medical device industry association, Eucomed, has issued a press release drawing attention to the growing importance of medical devices in the years ahead as the population ages. According to that release, issued on the International Day of Older Persons on October 1, some 10% of the population is now 60 years of over - by 2050, this figure will reach 20% and by 2150, 33%. There are striking differences between regions, it says, with 20% of Europeans but just 5% of Africans 60 or over. During the first half of the 21st century, the proportion of over 60s in Europe will reach one in four in some countries, and even one in two in others. The potential for medical devices to help eliminate or greatly reduce the disabilities related to ageing and lead to more active lives is clear. Eucomed calls for equitable access to the simple devices - such as hearing aids and incontinence pads - as well as to the more high-tech devices that can dramatically improve the quality of life of older people with a life-threatening condition - such as heart valves or implantable pacemakers.