Older persons have often been overlooked in the international development and global health agendas. There is currently a lack of data on HIV and AIDS prevalence of persons over the age of 50 and around elderly as main caregivers for people living with HIV and AIDS. As such, older women and men are a particularly vulnerable group, who often lack both awareness and access to basic services that enable good health and wellbeing – including access to age-friendly and integrated health, testing and care services, and social protections.
From the 6th to the 7th of October, 2016 HelpAge hosted the First Leading Action on Ageing and Health in Africa Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. This conference brought together key experts, actors and stakeholders from diverse sectors to share best practices from Africa on interlinking issues related to ageing, social protection and health. The conference sought to catalyse and promote a life-course approach to ensure that older persons and the children and adolescents under their care receive priority attention and are not left behind.
This conference communiqué asserts and recommends priority actions required by national governments, development partners and civil society in order to fully realize the rights of older women and men across Africa, enhance their capacities, reduce their vulnerabilities, and promote the wellbeing of children and adolescents under their care - today and in the future as Africa’s older population grows. The communiqué also combines technical recommendations on three issue areas, which are frequently addressed independently: health systems, HIV and AIDS and social protection.
Click here to download communiqué.