A LIFECOURSE APPROACH TO HEALTH Why promote the life course The importance of the life course as a framework is often downplayed as'common sense 'and its promotion'needless'. In reality however, acceptance of this principle has enormous implications on the way an individual's health is considered, for the training of health care professionals and for the way health systems are developed to cater for individuals' health care needs. Epidemiological research is beginning, and will continue, to enhance our understanding of the relative importance of different stages in the life course in relation to health capital and specific disease processes. Finding will enable the development and fine-tuning of life course models with specific implications for health and social policy interventions. In the meantime, as will be shown, there is value to be gained in acknowledging the importance of adopting a life course approach to health, exploring the issues raised and addressing the challenges that result. In the education and training of health-care professionals, a life course approach offers the potential to enhance the integration of teaching and to prepare students, across both the developed and developing worlds, for carrying out their responsibilities in the twenty-first century. Population of regions of the world Population(in billions 2000 2050 6.055 7.824 More developed countries 1.188 Less developed countries 4.867 6.609 7754 Age >65 years Total 0.419 0.817 1.458 More developed countries 0.254 ess developed countries 0.248 0.563 1.159 Source: United Nations World Population Prospects: The 1998 Revision (Medium Variant Projections) PAGETHREEPAGETHREE Why promote the life course? The importance of the life course as a framework is often downplayed as ‘common sense’ and its promotion ‘needless’. In reality however, acceptance of this principle has enormous implications on the way an individual’s health is considered, for the training of health care professionals and for the way health systems are developed to cater for individuals’ health care needs. Epidemiological research is beginning, and will continue, to enhance our understanding of the relative importance of different stages in the life course in relation to health capital and specific disease processes. Findings will enable the development and fine-tuning of life course models with specific implications for health and social policy interventions. In the meantime, as will be shown, there is value to be gained in acknowledging the importance of adopting a life course approach to health, exploring the issues raised and addressing the challenges that result. In the education and training of health-care professionals, a life course approach offers the potential to enhance the integration of teaching and to prepare students, across both the developed and developing worlds, for carrying out their responsibilities in the twenty-first century. Population (in billions) 2000 2025 2050 Total 6.055 7.824 8.909 More developed countries 1.188 1.215 1.155 Less developed countries 4.867 6.609 7.754 Age >65 years Total 0.419 0.817 1.458 More developed countries 0.171 0.254 0.299 Less developed countries 0.248 0.563 1.159 Source: United Nations. World Population Prospects: The 1998 Revision. (Medium Variant Projections) A LIFECOURSE APPROACH TO HEALTH Population of regions of the world