Govt approves policy to integrate senior citizens

Sat. November 27, 2010
THE government has approved a National Ageing Policy and an accompanying action plan to get senior citizens more involved in family and national affairs.
Addressing the National Executive Council Conference of the National Pensioners Association in Accra on Thursday, the Minister for Employment and Social Welfare, Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, said the action plan recommended three priority areas, namely active participation in the family, empowerment and well-being, in accordance with the Madrid Plan of Action on Ageing (MPAA).
He indicated that the ministry was seriously planning towards full implementation of the action plan by next year.
The policy, when implemented, will deal with challenges facing the aged and take advantage of their potential.
Ghana became signatory to the Madrid Plan of Action on Ageing (MPAA) in 2002. This international policy guideline represents a shift from the Vienna Plan of Action on Ageing, which was adopted in 1982.
Mr Mensah said the world was currently experiencing a revolution in longevity and the most serious consequences of the ageing population were yet to be experienced by developing countries such as Ghana.
He said the occurrence of ageing population was expected to be four times faster in the world by the year 2050 and that was expected to be more rapid in developing countries.
He said with these projections as a guide, Ghana could easily deduce that its population of the elderly persons above 65 years, which currently stands at 5.3 per cent, might reach 20 per cent by the year 2050.
Mr Mensah said that state of affairs would present many challenges to society and the government if the appropriate policy options, mechanisms and measures were not put in place.
He noted that the elderly were still productive, and that “we all should recognise that and allow them full participation in development”.
As part of the programme, there was a health talk to educate the senior citizens on how they should take care of their health.