SHAPING THE FUTURE HOW CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS CAN POWER HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Investing in education
and health helps
people to realize their
full potential
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cation of loans to the most productive economic
sectors, and extend more loans to small and
medium enterprises, since larger corporations
in many cases can access international financial
markets.
Another priority is to lay the foundation
for pension systems in anticipation of inevitable
ageing. Investing in these systems while the
workforce is still large means that as workers
age and withdraw from the labour force, there
will be sufficient resources for them to enjoy a
decent standard of life. While there are different
options to expand pension coverage, contributory
pension systems may be more sustainable over
the longer term as they encourage the current
population to save, easing pressures on public
budgets.
UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL
OF THE NEXT GENERATION
Asia-Pacific’s children and young people will be
the driving force behind demographic transition
and human development in the next few decades.
Deliberate measures and scaled-up investments
need to be in place to enhance their education,
health and passage from school to work, as affirmed
in Agenda 2030, where the international
community committed to providing children
and youth with a nurturing environment for the
full realization of their rights and capabilities. 8
Public services for youth need to be high in
quality and accessible to all, and young people
need to be more systematically included in the
decisions that affect their lives.
Raise public investment in education to international
standards. Asia-Pacific as a region
has made commendable progress in primary
education and attaining gender parity in education.
Greater effort is needed to expand the
availability of secondary and tertiary education,
however, as these levels produce the skills many
countries need to cultivate an increasingly productive
workforce and advance to higher levels
of human development.
The region needs to invest in the quality
of education, at all levels, with a starting
point being to reach international standards for
budget allocations to education. One priority
for additional resources could be to improve
school facilities and faculty, particularly in
rural areas and for marginalized communities,
as a pathway to equity in opportunities later in
life. A comprehensive review of curricula and
an assessment of pedagogical approaches may
be important, as highlighted in Sri Lanka’s
2014 National Human Development Report on
Youth and Development, including to ensure
that these meet the needs and expectations of
students, and prepare a strong foundation for
them to flourish as adults. The success of East
Asian countries in providing quality education
may offer lessons, as students there regularly
top global rankings under the Programme
for International Student Assessment (PISA)
conducted by the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Provide universal health services and nutrition.
Though Asia-Pacific as a whole has fared well
on vital health issues such as improving access
to immunization, reducing infant mortality,
curbing stunting among children and improving
maternal health, huge health and malnutrition
challenges still persist. The Sustainable Development
Goals now call for universal health
care for all nations at all stages of development.
Though priorities for action may differ among
countries, this implies that health services need
to be available to everyone, as well as affordable,
efficient and of good quality. They should be
comprehensive, covering not only physical and
mental well-being, but also social, economic and
cultural factors that influence health. Current
underfunding of health services underscores the
need for a boost in resources.
Carrying the world’s highest burden of child
malnutrition, South Asia should make greater
investments in reducing it. Most countries in
Asia-Pacific as a whole, particularly those with
a growing youth bulge, need to pay greater attention
to adolescent health. A youth-friendly
health policy is central if young people are to
learn healthy behaviours, curtail substance abuse
and tobacco use, become more physically active,
realize their sexual and reproductive health
rights, and avoid HIV and obesity.
Strengthen the transition from school to work.