Yarsi center to study elderly

JAKARTA (JP): Yarsi Foundation's Yarsi university will open a study center on the elderly the foundation's chairman, Jurnalis Udin, says.

Jurnalis said yesterday the Islamic university was concerned about senior citizens.

"There were only 9.4 million elderly people in 1985, but this is expected to increase to 16.2 million in 2000, or 4.8 percent annually," he said at a press meeting on the university's 30th birthday.

The university is on Jl. Letjen Suprapto in Central Jakarta.

He said that in 2020 there would be 33 million senior citizens, 10 times the Singaporean population.

He said senior citizens needed serious attention and the center would scientifically study problems relating to the elderly.

The university has opened study centers on the environment, health, women and socio-economic affairs under the umbrella of the university's research center. (sur)