In the Americas, diverse long-term care (LTC) systems reflect varying regional needs and capabilities. This article examines LTC systems in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica and Uruguay providing a detailed description of health and social care services available to their aging populations.

Ensuring adequate social security coverage for an ageing population is an important priority for governments and the global membership of the International Social Security Association (ISSA). Social pensions, also known as zero pillar or non-contributory pensions, complement contributory social insurance systems by providing a guaranteed source of income for people not adequately protected by other forms of social security. In doing so, they expand overall social protection and can be a powerful tool for combating old-age poverty, promoting social inclusion, and mitigating the impacts of labour market inequalities.

The region of Europe is characterized by the diversity of its national social security systems, as well as by the scale and scope of the coverage these provide.

A new Technical Report has been published by the International Social Security Association (ISSA) that focuses on Long-term care: Global efforts and international attention from the health perspective. The report highlights the current approaches taken by international health organizations related to long-term care (LTC) support for an ageing population. It will inform the production of future ISSA Guidelines on LTC.

The COVID-19 pandemic is further exposing significant challenges in many health and long-term care (LTC) systems driven by ageing societies. The need for strategies and solutions to support policymakers and social security institutions in facing the LTC challenge is fundamental to guarantee that no older person is left behind.