By Martin Odiete
Stakeholders at the African Regional High Level Conference on the Situation of Human Rights of Older Persons in Africa which took place at the second Ordinary session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja have unanimously called on the leadership of Africa governments to pay more attention on the plight of the Older Persons in Africa, noting that if nothing urgent is done the situation may be heading to a crisis point in the very near future.
In a resolution reached after the two day meeting, the conference resolved that the Older Persons are integral part of the society that can still play very useful role in the development of the Africa society if well taken care of.
They noted that the number of older persons in Africa between 2017 and 2050 is expected to grow with a projected 229 per cent increase from 69 million to 226 million, a cause for celebration that is the result of improved healthcare and nutrition, better education and stronger economies.
They recognized that there are more older women than men, both in Africa and globally, bearing in mind that the rapid population ageing and increased longevity requires longer-term planning that will ensure societies are able to cope and prepare for the opportunities that longer life expectancy brings.
The conference recognize the significant efforts made by various countries in Africa to protect the rights of older persons, including through the adoption of national development plans and other policies on older persons, while also noting that Africa has the highest proportion of economically active people over the age of 65 in the world, contributing to society in many ways as farmers, enterprises and mentors, professional personnel in different field, care givers among others.
The stakeholders further recognize that the experience of ageing is diverse, with older persons facing multiple and intersecting levels of discrimination and inequality. They Recognize with concern that older persons can also be among the most vulnerable in society and among those who are furthest left behind. Ageing can be characterized by increased risk of ill-health and disability.
The noted that a person’s health can be improved at any age and that healthy ageing can help increase older persons’ full participation in society to the benefit of all, while recognizing that factors such as weakened family and community structures due to migration, conflict, natural disasters, climate change, urbanization and the impact of HIV and AIDS can create obstacles to older persons’ full participation in society and the enjoyment of their human rights.
The conference laments with concern that many older persons face challenges in accessing social security, justice, loans, housing, nutrition, health and health support services (like insurance, long-term and palliative care), employment, property, lifelong learning and education, participation and accessibility. And that they are often denied the right to participate in development activities. They went further to acknowledge that older persons are experiencing ageism and age discrimination throughout Africa, that current legal mechanisms and policies are insufficient to protect them, and that existing measures need to be better implemented.
The African Regional High Level Conference on the Situation of Human Rights of Older Persons in Africa consist of Stakeholder Group on Ageing, the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria, the Africa Union Commission, Federal Ministry of Health (HEPIQ-C), Nigeria, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The event brought together ministers, members of parliaments and senior representatives from 22 African countries, development partners, UN entities, academia, NGOs and older persons representatives.
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