The Fourth Health Policy Decision-makers Forum Asia-Pacific was held in Beijing. More than 150 delegates from more than 10 countries shared their opinions and insights on elderly care.

Primary sessions for this year's forum focused on funding approaches to elderly care from aging countries, innovative approaches to providing support via healthcare and social care, and challenges that elderly patients face in access to medications.

Representatives from government, industry and academia discussed patients' access to medications, in relationship with drug reimbursement policy and differences in access to medications across China, as well as the role of health technology assessment in emerging countries like Thailand.

"In China and around the world, elderly care is posing increasing challenges in how healthcare systems are managed, financed and guided by policy," said Gordon Liu, Yangtze River Scholar Professor of Economics with the Peking University National School of Development.

"This forum comes at an exciting time, because China is currently working to develop policies and initiatives around elderly care. It provides a very unique opportunity for policymakers, industry, academics, and experts to convene and discuss solutions to these challenges."