LONDON, June 30 (Xinhua) -- With more than 10 million people alive in Britain today expected to see their 100th birthdays, new measures to prepare for an ageing society were announced Sunday by the British government.
A council of advisers and experts will help Britain champion ageing society opportunities by seizing economic opportunities to meet the changing needs of an older society.
The new UK Longevity Council, made up of specialists from across society, will advise how best to use innovations in technology, products and services to improve the lives of an ageing population.
With the number of people aged over 65 set to nearly double to more than 20 million in under 50 years, a government-backed Ageing Society Grand Challenge has also been designed to harness the power of innovation.
To support the Grand Challenge, the government will shortly open competitions for a 125-million-U.S. dollar fund to develop attractive products and services that will help people of all ages to live better and more independent lives as they grow older.
The new strategy also aims to ensure people across Britain enjoy an extra 5 years of healthy and independent living by 2035, while narrowing the gap between the experience of the richest and the poorest, said the government in a joint statement by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: "Living longer should be celebrated but we need to think seriously about how we can adapt society more widely to meet older people's needs. We must use our industry's incredible abilities in technology, design and innovation in new, thoughtful ways to support everyone to age well."
Business Secretary Greg Clark said: "More than 10 million people in the UK today can expect to see their 100th birthday, compared to 15,000 current centenarians.
"As more people live longer, we must ensure people can live independently, with dignity and a good quality of life for longer by harnessing the best technological innovation and advances to help."
