Preparing for the future with a national policy on the elderly

Sogakope (Volta Region) 28 April ?99

A committee to study and come out with a national policy on ageing, have been commissioned by the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare.

The committee will examine the enormity of problems of ageing and to draw up a blue-print to tackle those problems.

Mrs Ama Benyiwah-Doe, a deputy minister at the ministry, announced this at a workshop on ageing at Sogakope on Tuesday.

The workshop, organised by the ministry with funding from the UNFPA, is on the theme : "Toward Elimination of Poverty in Old Age."

It is being attended by 35 participants from Ghana and Rwanda, who are discussing healthy ageing, employment and social/income security, housing, education, recreation and community service among others.

Mrs Benyiwah-Doe said it is necessary for Ghanaians to reduce the burden of ageing by learning other skills apart from those already acquired to enable them contribute and play meaningful roles after retirement.

She said one significant change in the lives of older persons today is the gradual deterioration in their income.

In Ghana today income deterioration is beginning to manifest in the increasing incidence of "street begging" among older persons.

"Hitherto, this practice was unknown in the society, and so apart from constituting an unmitigated affront to the elderly, it is certainly unlike the Ghanaian.

"This development naturally calls for urgent policies to address income security and management among older persons, especially those in the informal sector of the economy", she said.

Mrs Benyiwah-Doe said the United Nations declaration of 1999 asInternational Year of Older Persons, make ageing a "special concern for

all ages", and requires policies which invest in individual to preparation for old age.

In this direction, the ministry has been vigorously collaborating with interested NGO's and other government agencies to address the challenges brought out by the UN declaration.

Mrs Rosemary Moseminali, Director of Social Welfare in Rwanda, said:

"We should be mindful of what we do today to help the elderly, because we will all pass through the process tomorrow'.