| خلاصه مقاله | Iran's population is getting older as global population changes - albeit with some delay. Demographic evidence and forecasts suggests that Iran's population is aging rapidly in the coming decades. Social welfare indexes are analyzed in relation to the population and its composition. Population composition and its indicators have a direct impact on social welfare indexes such as education, employment, health care (1). The aging of the population has led to the epidemiological transmission of diseases from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases. The prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases such as musculoskeletal disorders, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancers, Alzheimer's disease and dementia require extensive and costly provision of health services (2). Therefore, population aging is one of the most important health challenges of the 21st century.
The high burden of chronic diseases of aging increases the need for efficient and effective health care services, which is in various levels including primary health care, outpatient care, pre-hospital emergency medicine, hospitalization, paraclinic, rehabilitation, and etc. (3). The dramatic increase in the burden of chronic diseases threatens the macroeconomic and financial stability of many societies (4). It is clear that rapid population aging will be one of the major challenges in front of Iranian society generally and particularly in the health system in the near future. Therefore, policymaking, planning, investing and creating the infrastructure needed to meet the 25 million older adults population is one of today's necessities of Iran. |