DC assures elders of support

ARUSHA: THE Arumeru District Commissioner (DC), Ms Emmanuela Kaganda has pledged to strengthen elders’ participation in the district development.

The DC made the remarks recently during the commemoration of Elders’ Day which was marked at regional level at Kikatiti Ward, Arumeru District Council.

“Through the Department of Health, Nutrition and Social Welfare we will cement collaboration with elders’ councils while also focusing on children abandonment,” Ms Kaganda said.

Arusha Elders Council’s Chairperson, Mr Mhina Sanzua said elders in the region were encountering numerous challenges including limited access to loans and delays in provision of elders’ identification cards (ID).

He also said elders in the region want to have special doctors who will be providing medical services to them.

Mr Sanzua said elders had suggested to have special doctors aged at least 55 years who will be providing medical services to them so that they can be comfortable to explain their health issues.

However, the DC Kaganda on behalf of the Arusha Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr John Mongella said the government has a plan of ensuring that all elders have IDs come 2024.

Furthermore, Arusha Region’s Community Welfare Officer, Mr Denis Mgiye said the region was working to ensure all district councils in the region have elders’ councils which will be capacitated with skills on handling different issues relating to their progress.

He said the region will keep focusing on elders’ councils in all district and region meetings’ agenda to unlock their daily confronting challenges.

Globally, the International Day of Older Person is marked on October 1 every year.

Old persons are defined as those aged 65 years or above according to the United Nations (UN).

According to the UN, the number of old people tripled from around 260 million in 1980 to 761 million in 2021.

Additionally, between 2021 and 2050, the global share of the older population is projected to increase from less than 10 per cent to around 17 per cent, according to the UN.