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n her early 60s, Dewi Ratnawati can still do some of the things she did when she was younger. She spends her time on various activities, including seeing friends and producing handicrafts.

“I still enjoy seeing old friends, chatting and singing with them,” she told The Jakarta Post. In her free time, she exercises her skills by producing handicrafts, an activity that doesn’t just keep her healthy but also brings her an income.

“At first, the handicrafts were only a way to help me avoid dementia. But it later brought me an income.”

By staying active, Dewi has also remained relatively healthy.

“Thank God, I have never had a severe illness like hypertension or diabetes. My only problem is rheumatism,” said Dewi, who has become an active member in an elderly support group in Tebet subdistrict’s community health center.

RM Soerachman Koesoemorachmanto, 85, does similar things to keep healthy. He regularly exercises, such as walking and cycling, as part of his daily routine.

“I spend at least one hour a day walking or cycling,” said Soerachman, a retired civil servant from the Agriculture Ministry who currently works as history bureau chief at the Indonesian Veteran Legion (LVRI).

Exercising, he said, was beneficial for old people like him. “I can stay healthy and remain active, while most people might never think that old people like me are capable of doing any activities.”

Dewi and Soerachman were among hundreds who attended a one-day seminar on the elderly, held by the Health Ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) as part of World Health Day.

Aging and health is the focus of the campaign this year, with “Good health adds years to” as the slogan.

A rapidly growing — faster than for other age groups — proportion of the world’s population aged over 60.

By 2050, five countries will have 10 million or more people aged over 80, including Indonesia, and 2 billion men and women worldwide will be over 60, accounting for 21 percent of the global population.

About 80 percent of the aging population live in developing countries like Indonesia.

In Indonesia, the aging population is projected to double in 20 years due to improving life expectancy, which may reach 73.6 by 2025, up from 70.9 in 2010.

Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih said the country’s baby boom that occurred during in the 1960s and 1970s would soon cause the aged-population boom.

“Continuous increases in the elderly population will increase the dependency ratio. Without seeking any solution for this problem, Indonesia will face triple burdens caused by an increased number of the aged population while it still has high birth rates and a young population also remaining dominant.”