Hong Kong must embrace longevity revolution, says Alexandre Kalache

Hong Kong needs to do away with compulsory retirement and allow people to decide when they want to stop work as life expectancy soars, says an ageing expert.

Alexandre Kalache, president of the International Longevity Centre in Brazil, says societies should embrace the "longevity revolution".

He says that instead of seeing the elderly as a burden, the should be empowered to make their own life choices and be looked upon as a boon rather than a bane to society.

In Hong Kong last week for an ethics of ageing policy conference to mark the launch of the Bioethics Centre at Chinese University, Kalache said that with modern medicine, people were healthier and living longer than ever before. Hence, the longevity revolution - or "more older people living longer but in better health with better education and more knowledge".

Kalache, a 69-year-old Brazilian, explained how he was part of the revolution. When he was born in 1945, the life expectancy in his country was 43. Now, it has exceeded 73 years.

"Hong Kong cannot continue to retire people at 60," he said. "It's not viable nor desirable."

He said people ought to have the right to choose when to retire.