Until very recently, elder abuse was a social problem hidden from public view and mostly regarded as a private matter. Evidence is accumulating, however, to indicate that elder abuse, which includes the pervasive issue of neglect, is an important public health and societal problem that manifests itself in both developing and developed countries. From a health and social perspective, unless the primary health care and social services sectors are well equipped to identify and deal with the problem, elder abuse will continue to be underdiagnosed and overlooked.WHO Ageing and Life Course Programme