It has been suggested that Kenya should reinforce its healthcare, social protection and legal systems in order to meet the increasing needs of older people as the country’s ageing population continues to grow.
At events held at Kenya Institute of Special Education of in Nairobi to mark the International Day of Older Persons, various stakeholders stated that older people should be at the heart of any decisions which affect their health, well-being and dignity.
A representative the World Health Organization stated that the world population is ageing quickly and that this situation means countries have to reconsider their systems and services in order to deal with longer life spans.
The representative pointed out that in 2020 the number of people who were 60 years of age or older exceeded that of children under five altogether, highlighting the increasing significance of ageing in health and development planning.
The global share of people who are 60 years of age or older is expected to rise considerably, and by 2050 about 80 per cent of older people are expected to be living in low- and middle-income countries.
Africa is still one of the youngest parts of the world, but the number of older people in the region is also expected to triple by 2050.
The 2019 census in Kenya showed that there were about 2.7 million people who were 60 years of age or older. Around 55 per cent of those who are classified as older are women, and three quarters of them live in rural areas, which shows that there is a need for services that take into account geographical and gender-related inequalities.
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The representative of the WHO stated that it would be essential to collect better and more detailed data if appropriate services for older people were to be designed.
“The idea of discussing matters relating to older people can’t be had without having older people taking part in the decisions and programmes which affect them,” the representative said, and called for older people to take a direct role in such decisions and programmes.
The representative also urged that data systems should not merely record diseases but should instead include information on mobility, hearing, cognition and vitality among older people.
Shakira Khawaja, the founder of Suqoon Kenya, also echoed the statement and said that the country needed stronger legal and policy frameworks in order to protect older people from discrimination, abuse and neglect.
Khawaja stated that Kenya at the moment has no specific law which thoroughly deals with the rights and well-being of older people and called on all the relevant parties to aim at producing legislation that would address the problems affecting the elderly.
She also urged for better data collection in order that it might guide government programmes and policies.
A further point raised was that of access to social protection. Khawaja asked the government to look at extending the reach of the Inua Jamii programme, on the grounds that the present age limit leaves certain vulnerable older people outside the safety net.
She also urged people who are older to sign up for the Social Health Authority (SHA), pointing out that access to healthcare is still a vital aspect of ensuring a good quality of life in old age.
For the WHO representative the question is also a personal one; she remembers having lost her grandmother when she was 75 after a brain tumour was diagnosed late, partly since it was difficult to access healthcare from her rural home at night.
As she explained, the experience showed that geographical barriers and the delay in accessing healthcare can have serious consequences for older people.
The stakeholders therefore stated that Kenya should prepare for a future in which a greater number of people live longer, making sure that longer lives are supported by accessible healthcare, social protection, dignity and meaningful participation in society.
The discussions come as the world marks the International Day of Older Persons under the theme “Ageing with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Persons Worldwide
