Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
News and analysis of issuesaffecting the lives of older people
Issue 18 July 2005
Isolation in Darfurinside...
Ageing andDevelopment
Hawaya, a widow, has been living on her own in a camp near El Geniena, West Darfur since her house was burnt down by the Janjaweed.
people usually had status andfinancial security, through assetssuch as land.
Now, approximately 50 per cent of all older people in the camps live alone. Almost 40 per cent are widows, who complain thatreduced social contact makes them feel invisible at times.
Some older people have lost sonsand daughters in the conflict.Around a third care for orphanedchildren, not always related.
Sixty-five year old Muhammad,who lives in Mornei camp with hisgrandson, is blind. As a sheikh inhis home village he was arespected man. Now he begs forfood and money in the market,selling the food to pay school fees.
Opportunities for older men to earnmoney through casual work arelimited, resulting in low self-esteem.
Disability stops some older peoplefrom getting aid. Those unable toget to registration centres
frequently miss out on food andhealth programmes.
HelpAge International has beenworking in West Darfur since July 2004 and has set up olderpeople’s committees in fivecamps. Committee membersidentify vulnerable older peoplethrough home visits. Older peopleare also targeted with appropriateaid such as fuel-efficient stoves.
Susan Erb, HelpAgeInternational’s programmemanager in Darfur says: ‘Olderpeople have been left without any support by the Darfur crisis.They are in danger of becomingthe most marginalised group inDarfur unless humanitarianagencies specifically target them.’
Health and nutrition assessmentof older people - West DarfurHelpAge International, February 2005
Situation analysis report: WestDarfur, Sudan HelpAge Internationaland UNICEF, April 2005
For copies email: [email protected]
The continuing crisis in Darfurhighlights the devastating effectof internal conflict on olderpeople when traditional supportsystems are taken away.
The United Nations estimates thatthere are nearly two million internallydisplaced people in Darfur, Sudan.More than 700,000 are living incamps in West Darfur. About 10 per cent of these are older people.
Tensions over access to land haveexisted in the region for decades.But since 2003, the situation hassteadily escalated into armedconflict. Many people have fled toother countries or to campssupported by humanitarian agencies.Research by HelpAge Internationalshows that older people in campslive in chronic poverty, feelneglected and are often isolated.
Before the conflict, older peoplewere taken care of by communitysupport mechanisms. Those withdisabilities were supported by familymembers and neighbours. Older
2 News Pensions report;tsunami survivors; EU aid;easing tension in Kyrgyzstan
6 Briefing African views onsocial protection
8 Profile Raising rights inJamaica
9 Talking point Mainstreamingageing in Uganda
10 Resources Publications,websites and events
12 Research update Impact of pensions; access to services; systems of support;urban migration
2
Ageing and Development Dec 2000
A new report from the WorldBank argues for socialpensions as a means ofalleviating old-age poverty in low-income countries.
Old age income support in thetwentieth century draws on the
World Bank’s experience ofworking on pension reform in over 80 countries, many in thedeveloping world.
The report recommends basicincome security and povertyalleviation across the full breadth
World Bank calls for pensions in poor countries
G7 finance ministers agreed in Juneto universal access to HIV treatmentby 2010. The Millennium Summit inNew York in September will affirmand renew global goals to eradicatepoverty and deliver a safer andmore equitable world for all.
But how will the poverty, insecurityand HIV/AIDS-related problems ofolder women and men, already
among the poorest and mostexcluded in the poorest ofcommunities and nations, be takeninto account? Their voices are stillstruggling to be heard. HIV/AIDSmeans they are the primary carersfor increasing numbers of orphanedchildren – but support to them is still minimal and they have verylimited access to treatment.
Better aid promises should benefitpeople of all ages. For older people, better aid means well-resourced and accessible socialprotection, including HIV/AIDStreatment. Cash transfers should be core elements of national poverty reduction strategies.
Sylvia Beales Policy Development
Manager, HelpAge International
Making poverty history for all
The year 2005 is a watershed fordevelopment. Demands of G8leaders meeting in Scotland in July include more and better aid, as well as debt relief and fair trade.
Comment
Ageing and Development July 2005
NewsroundupDevelopments that affect older people’s quality of life
of income distribution. This meansthat all countries should ensurethat people with low lifetimeincomes, or who only participatemarginally in the formal economy,are provided with basic protectionin old age.
The report calls for an additional‘zero pillar’ in its multi-pillarframework, which would be non-contributory and take the form of a ‘social pension’ providing a minimum level of protection. This would complement other‘pillars’ of the framework, including those that in variousways provide for pre-fundedcontributory pensions.
The report makes the economicand social policy case for pensionreform and provides a detaileddiscussion of reform options aswell as design and implementationissues. It defines the conditions for adequate, affordable, robustand sustainable pension systems.It spells out some of the majorquestions relating to the processof pension reform, which areparticularly relevant in poorcountries where there may beintense competition for scarceresources.
HelpAge International welcomesthe report. ‘The report is timely in view of the growing interest inthe potential of social protectionmechanisms to reach the olderpoor,’ says Mark Gorman,HelpAge International director of policy development.
Holzmann, R, Hinz R and World Bank staff, Old age income support in the twentieth century: aninternational perspective on pensionssystems and reform World Bank, Washington DC, 2005
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPENSIONS/Resources/Old_Age_Income_Support_Complete.pdf
Target the poorest, says special reportThe Millennium Development Goals commit the world to halving extreme poverty by 2015, but olderpeople, who are among the poorest, are invisible in the targets and indicators.
poorest, an explicitly rights-basedapproach to poverty reduction is needed, in addition to greaterfinancial commitment.
Specifically, the report calls for socialprotection measures, includingsocial pensions, to be incorporatedinto poverty reduction strategies.
It also recommends disaggregationof poverty data by age and gender
As preparations gather pace for the Millennium Summit review inNew York this September, HelpAgeInternational has published a special report, MDGs must targetpoorest say older people,distributed as a supplement to A&D.
The report argues that if the MDGsare to deliver fair and equitabledevelopment that reaches the very
as well as ethnicity and disability,and the acknowledgement of older women and men as effective agents of change andcontributors to the MDGs.
MDGs must target poorest sayolder peopleHelpAge International, 2005Available at: www.helpage.org
Hei
n du
Ple
ssis
/Hel
pAge
Inte
rnat
iona
l
HelpAge International’s report on the MDGs calls for older people’s contribution to be acknowledged.
Erik
Fla
koll/
Hel
pAge
Inte
rnat
iona
l
Six months after the Asianearthquake tsunami, anestimated one million peopleare still displaced andstruggling to rebuild their lives.
The disaster hit those who werealready poor the hardest. Manywere older people, who lost theirhouses, livelihoods and supportnetworks. A study by HelpAgeInternational in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand shows thatnearly 93,000 older people havebeen displaced in these countries.
Before the tsunami, older people in coastal villages worked in arange of formal or informalemployment, such as labourers,fishing or supporting industries,trading, farming, market vendingor in small businesses, often family-owned.
Older people who lost theirlivelihoods are calling for supportto restore them. In Sri Lanka,Kanagasooriyam, 60, a goldsmith,needs to replace the tools he lostto restart work. Seller, 73, wants
3
Ageing and Development July 2005
Child poverty reporthighlights older carers’ roleA new report on child poverty highlights the interdependency of different generations within a household.
In developing countries, 30,000children die every day and 183million are malnourished.
Achieving our dreams for 2015calls on world leaders to listencarefully to children, young peopleand their carers, many of whomare older people, if child poverty is to end.
The report, published by the Grow Up Free from PovertyCoalition of 21 UK-based NGOs,faith groups and civil societyorganisations, is based onconsultations with more than4,000 poor children and their
older carers in 18 developingcountries.
It points out that older people and children in their care are atmost risk of chronic poverty.
It proposes a new approach topoverty reduction that isintergenerational and multi-sectoral, and takes forward therights of children and those thatcare for them.
Achieving our dreams for 2015Grow Up Free from Poverty Coalition,2005www.grow-up-free-from-poverty.org
Governments step upsocial protectionGovernments in three developing countries have announcedallowances benefiting older people.
The Government of Swaziland has set a precedent by receivingmoney from the Global Fund tosupport carers of orphans.
More than a third of adults inSwaziland are HIV-positive and75,000 children have been leftorphaned. The government hasannounced a monthly allowance of roughly US$30 for 10,000people caring for orphans. The vast majority of these are likely to be older women.
The Government of Bangladeshhas announced an increase in theamount and extent of its old-ageallowance.
From July 2005, the means-testedallowance, paid to very poorpeople aged 57 and over living in rural areas, will be raised from 165 taka (US$2.60) to 180 taka(US$2.83) per month. Coveragewill be extended from just over 1.3 million to 1.5 million people.
The Government of St Lucia hasraised its public assistancepayment, which for older people isa form of non-contributory pension.
The amount went up from $60.00(US$22) to $85.00 (US$323) permonth from June 2005. However,it remains the lowest in theEastern Caribbean.
Manikam Chinnapulla with her daughter in Kalmunai, Sri Lanka.
tsunami at least have someassured income.
The study by HelpAgeInternational shows that, despitebeing identified as a vulnerablegroup by the Sphere guidelineswhich set out minimum standardsfor disaster response, older people were not targeted for relief supplies and services in anyof the camps studied.
‘Older people’s needs andcontributions were clearlyoverlooked during the relief stage,says Bill Gray, EmergenciesManager, HelpAge International.‘Those responsible forreconstruction and rehabilitationneed to ensure they receivetargeted support in future plans.Schemes such as the fishermen’spension in Kerala show how olderpeople can be protected fromlosing everything in a disaster.’
The impact of the Indian Oceantsunami on older people: issues and recommendationsHelpAge International, 2005www.helpage.org
Older tsunami survivors call for supportto start a bicycle repair shop.Arukanapathipillai, 66, a fishermanand bicycle repairer, who lost hiswife and daughter, is hoping forhelp to start working again.
Older people who lost sons anddaughters on whom they dependedfor income now have to find a way to support themselves, and,in some cases, their grandchildren.Manikam Chinnapulla, 75, a widow in Sri Lanka who lived withher son and daughter’s family, losther son and son-in-law. ‘Now weare only women here and we have lost everything,’ she says. ‘I am hoping that we can start a shop here and make a living that way.’
Some older people are benefitingfrom income security schemes. In the Indian state of Kerala, afishermen’s cooperative runs apension scheme. Memberscontribute a nominal amount untilthe age of 60, after which theyreceive a monthly pension. This means that older fishermenwho lost their belongings in the
4
Ast
rid W
alke
r/H
elpA
ge In
tern
atio
nal
NewsroundupDevelopments that affect older people’s quality of life
Ageing and Development July 2005
Spotlight on healthcare in TanzaniaGovernment policy is for allvulnerable people aged over 60 to be exempt from paying fees for government health services.However, implementation of thispolicy is patchy.
Older people’s committees wereset up in Arusha with support from the Arusha Retired People’sAssociation and HelpAge
Groups of older people innorthern Tanzania have foundthat medical staff in healthcentres often treat themdisrespectfully.
In one district, however, olderpeople have lobbied successfullyfor their local government to grantthem their entitlement to freehealth care.
International. They receivedtraining in gathering and analysinginformation on health services.
Older people’s key concerns werequality of health care, cost oftreatment and medicine, anddistance to services. One olderperson was told by hospital staff,‘Go home, you are not ill, just old.’
Older people are included forthe first time in key documentsguiding European Uniondevelopment policy.
The EU is the largest multilateraldonor for developing countries: 50 per cent of aid comes from the EU and its member statescombined. One-fifth of this aid ismanaged by the EuropeanCommission (EC), which also hasthe right to initiate policies in thearea of development cooperation.
Older people are referred to in acommunication from the EuropeanCommission that reflects the EU’s thinking on the MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs) –Speeding up progress towards the MDGs. The EU’s contribution(COM(2005)132 final), published in April 2005.
Older people logged theirexperiences during hospital visits.The findings revealed that:
� 40 per cent said the tone oflanguage used by medical staff was mocking
� 94 per cent were charged forthe consultation
� 30 per cent were not aware ofhow to apply for free health care
� over a third had to wait fourhours or more to see a doctor
� nearly half had to pay their own fare to get to the hospital.
As a result of negotiations between the Arusha RetiredPeople’s Association, a localcouncillor and the secretary of thehealth committee, all older people in Monduli district, Arushawere issued with letters to grantthem access to free treatment.
HelpAge International supportedthe older people’s groups as part ofits older citizens monitoring project,funded by the UK Department forInternational Development. Theproject has also been running inBangladesh, Bolivia, Kenya andJamaica (see Profile on page 8).
Older people enter into EU aid policyThe communication has a sectionon social equity in Africa thatmentions the benefits of local,decentralised development forolder people’s lives. ‘Localdevelopment allows children andold people to have their place inthe society. It creates a socialsafety net and limits on migration.’
In April 2005 the EC also, for thefirst time, acknowledged olderpeople as carers of orphans andvulnerable children, and as avulnerable group with regard toHIV/AIDS and TB, in its mainpolicy document on povertydiseases – A Europeanprogramme for action to confrontHIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosisthrough external action (2007-2011) (COM(2005) 179 final).
The document suggests thatstrategies to tackle HIV/AIDSshould include an ‘age dimension’,and reflect the crucial role thatfamily and community-based careoften plays.
Specifically, it acknowledges thatolder people, who have higherrates of TB infection (oftenundiagnosed), and who are alsooften left to take care of orphansand vulnerable children, may need support in the form of socialprotection or allowances.
Stronger EU commitments toinvolve and support older peopleby all EU poverty reductionpolicies and programmes are yet to be made, however, andhave been requested on severaloccasions by the EuropeanParliament.
Earlier this year, the EU report onMillennium Development Goals2000-2004 (SEC(2005) 456) also found that ‘addressing theneeds of the most affected andvulnerable groups – especiallychildren, younger women andelderly’ should be seen asadditional priority actions inrelation to MDG 6 to combatHIV/AIDS, malaria and TB.
More information:HelpAge International EU Office,BrusselsTel: +322 280 07 71Email: [email protected]
European Commission – DG Development http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/index_en.htm
Older men discuss access to health services in Arusha, Tanzania.
A group of older men from different ethnic backgrounds in Kyrgyzstan.
Diary� The world is ageing fast. Globally,the number of persons aged 60years or over is expected almost totriple by 2050, to nearly 1.9 billion,according to the 2004 revision of the United Nations populationestimates and projections. Whereas today, six out of ten olderpeople live in developing countries,by 2050, eight out of ten will do so.
www.un.org/esa/population/unpop.htm
� Small amounts of money canhelp older people improve theirlives. A report from Zambia notesthat older women receiving thegovernment’s pilot social cashtransfer of about US$7 a month(A&D16) have revived a traditionalform of saving at one of thescheme’s pay points. This enableseach in turn to make a capitalpurchase (for example, a goat orclothes for their grandchildren).
5
Ageing and Development July 2005
Support systems in LaosA study of traditionalapproaches to older people’swellbeing has been carried outin northern Lao PDR.
The study, a partnership betweenHelpAge International, the LaoMinistry of Labour and SocialWelfare, Lao Red Cross and Lao Women’s Union, usedparticipatory methodology to seek
the views of older people and other community members in six villages in Luang Prabang andLuang Namtha provinces.
Researchers looked at perceptionsof poverty, old age andvulnerability; provincial, district and community profiles; healthissues; livelihoods; social, cultural,and spiritual aspects of older
Similarly, in Lesotho, three olderwomen who receive the old-agepension of US$22 a month,introduced last November, haveformed a revolving loan scheme that they will use to build pit latrines (also see page 12).
� Singapore’s women are in aparticularly vulnerable position inlater life. This arises from lack ofincome over their lifetime, an old-age income security system that is not structured to include thosewho have not worked in formal
employment, lack of an adequateand inclusive healthcare financingmechanism that covers people who have not worked in formalemployment, and a family situationthat can no longer sustain itscareng role for older relatives.These findings are in Beyond youth:women growing older and poorer,published by the Tsao Foundationand Association of Women forAction and Research (AWARE).
www.tsaofoundation.org orwww.aware.org.sg
Older people in southernKyrgyzstan are helping to easeborder tensions.
The creation of a border betweenKyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan afterthe collapse of the Soviet Unionhas divided communities andhindered access to resources suchas farmland, water supplies andpublic services. Competition forresources has exacerbatedtensions between communities oneither side of the border.
Over the past few months, groupsof older people in Djalal-Abad andOsh oblasts in southern Kyrgyzstanhave volunteered as mediators.
In one village in Djalal-Abad, agroup of older people hasorganised roundtable discussionswith representatives of two villagesin Uzbekistan, helping to improve
relations and encouraging peoplefrom different communities to mixsocially at festivals.
In another village, a group of retired militia with experience ofworking in border areas has trainedyounger police and customsofficers in conflict awareness.
Another group has organisedmeetings with local governmentrepresentatives to addressviolations of the rights of the Uzbekminority in southern Kyrgyzstan.
‘Whereas younger people are more likely to regard people acrossthe border as enemies, olderpeople remember what thesituation was like before thecollapse of the Soviet Union. They still have contact with peoplefrom these communities, and theyrealise that they share many of the
Older people ease tension in Kyrgyzstan
Cat
herin
e H
ine/
Hel
pAge
Inte
rnat
iona
l
same problems,’ says CatherineHine of HelpAge International’sCentral Asia programme.
The older people’s groups havebeen supported by Kyrgyz NGOs,
UMUT and Foundation forTolerance International, andHelpAge International, with fundingfrom EC TACIS IBP Programme.
people’s wellbeing; supportsystems for older people; andgender and ethnic considerations.
In all six villages, support systemsfor older people were found toconsist of family and communityonly. Families assist with care,food and medicine when eldersare ill. Communities often assistfamilies when elders are sick.Lending rice is a common practiceduring these times. In rare cases
where an older person has nofamily nearby, the community maybe the only source of support.
Older people added that thecommunity assists them to observetraditional practices and rituals.
More information:Usa Khiewrord, ProgrammeCoordinator, HelpAge International, c/o Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University, Thailand 50200 Email: [email protected]
6
BriefingAnalysis of current topics in ageing
Ageing and Development July 2005
programmes, together with poortargeting, has compromisedcitizens’ belief in their governments’commitment to social protection.This in turn weakens theeffectiveness of existing socialprotection programmes.
Survey respondents alsocommented on constraints causedby donors’ differing definitions ofsocial protection. Some donors see social protection primarily as a response to extreme vulnerability,while others regard it as amechanism to ‘put people at thecentre’ in development. These discrepancies may behampering discussions on the place and funding of socialprotection in development policy.
The survey also highlighted concernsabout the possible connectionbetween corruption and socialprotection schemes. In view of this,there was a strong recommendationthat the rollout of social protection,especially cash transfers, should belinked to sensitisation of recipientsabout their rights and entitlements,to enable them to monitor delivery. A clear synergy was noted betweenthe desire by African governmentsand some donors to improveaccountability between citizen andstate, and the promotion of socialprotection.
Pilot programmes
African governments and regionalinstitutions are undertakingpartnerships with a range of UNand government agencies, as wellas NGOs, to test out affordabilityand implementation of socialprotection programmes.
The German development agency,GTZ, is supporting a socialassistance scheme in Kalomo,Zambia. The International LabourOrganization (ILO) is working withnational governments, includingTanzania, to pilot and cost a rangeof social insurance and cashtransfer schemes.
UNICEF is undertaking a surveywith a number of partners, includingHelpAge International and Save theChildren UK, of the effect of cash
citizens, and the potential role ofcash transfers within an integratedsocial protection framework.
In particular, they recognised thatsocial protection, in the form ofchild and foster care grants, schoolsupport programmes and socialpensions for older carers, could bean effective mechanism to supporthouseholds dealing with povertyand HIV/AIDS.
Constraints and concerns
Another key finding was agreementon barriers to implementing socialprotection programmes. Foremostamong these is the fact that socialwelfare ministries responsible forsocial protection, with the exceptionof South Africa, receive little supportfrom governments or from donors.
Although poor people, when asked,are calling for better social servicesand for social protection to helpthem access these services, poorfinancing to date of social protection
HelpAge International consultedwidely with its network in Africa oncore issues for the Commission forAfrica, and input evidence regularlyto the commissioners. Olderwomen and men highlighted theurgent need for better governanceand equitable social protection,including regular cash transfers.
Potential of cash transfers
Recommendations from theseconsultations are echoed in asurvey by HelpAge Internationaland Development Initiatives on the attitudes of Africangovernments, regional institutions(including the African Union andNEPAD), donors and multilateralagencies to social protection andcash transfers.2
The main finding was that Africangovernments and regionalinstitutions all recognised theimportance of social protection fortheir older and younger vulnerable
A survey shows African governments recognise the importance ofsocial protection for their older and younger vulnerable citizens.
High on the agenda of the G8Summit in Scotland in July 2005 isthe response of the rich world tothe crippling, persistent povertyand disempowerment of the poorworld. The call for more and betteraid for the world’s poorest peoplewill also be the centre-piece of theJuly-December 2005 UKpresidency of the European Union.
In May 2005, European Unionmember states announced adoubling of aid by 2010 to reachthe United Nations target of 0.7per cent of GDP. How this aid willreach the poorest will also bediscussed in the UN member states’review of the Millennium Summit inNew York in September 2005.
Africa is a special focus ofattention at these events. On thetable are a package of proposalsdeveloped by the Commission forAfrica, a team of 17 high-rankingacademics, politicians and servingministers, nine of whom are African.
The Commission’s report, Ourcommon interest,1 places action onthe poorest at its heart, calling for‘investment in people’. This meansnot only increasing aid to Africa byUS$50 billion a year by 2015, butalso developing social protectionstrategies, including cash transfers,in all African countries by 2007.
Donors are asked to support theAfrican Union’s NEPAD programme to develop a rights and inclusion framework, and tosupport countries to develop social protection strategies.Commissioners are calling for long-term and predictable fundingfor social protection, with theallocation of US$2billion fundingimmediately, rising to US$5-6billion by 2015.
Hei
n du
Ple
ssis
/Hel
pAge
Inte
rnat
iona
l
Views from Africa onsocial protectionSocial protection, including cash transfers, is being recommended as an effective way to deliveraid to the poorest. The question is: are donors willing to invest? Sylvia Beales discusses theviews of donors and African governments.
7
poverty reduction plans. Africangovernments and institutionsagreed that properly funded socialprotection programmes wouldcome about only when donors andrecipient governments developedconsistent policies and costingapproaches, which were integrated into poverty reductionpolicies.
Donor opinion
Despite donor emphasis on‘country ownership’ of aidprogrammes, the surveyhighlighted how influential donoropinion is on the form thatdevelopment aid takes. Donorsmay still be having an undueinfluence on the outcomes ofnational poverty consultations andrelated budget support processes.
Concrete action to reduce extremepoverty among the poorest groupsmay be more subject to donoropinion than we care to think.
It will be important for theMillennium Summit to considerhonestly why the MDG Project hasfailed to reach the world’s poorestpeople. Approaches to reachingthe poorest will only have theremotest chance of success ifthere is political will and courage to follow through. Giving socialprotection the profile and funding it requires to target the poorestacross all age groups, abilities and ethnic origins involves suchpolitical will and courage.
Sylvia Beales is Policy Development
Manager, HelpAge International.
1. Our common interest,Commission for Africa, 2005,www.commissionforafrica.org
2. Beales S and German T, Situation analysis of social protectionand cash transfers in Africa,HelpAge International withDevelopment Initiatives, 2005
3. Barrientos A and Smith R, Socialassistance in low income countriesdatabase, Institute of DevelopmentPolicy and Management, University of Manchester, February 2005
4. Kakwani N, Soares F et al.,Conditional cash transfers in Africancountries, International Poverty Centre (IPC), Brasilia, March 2005
and material transfers onvulnerable children and their carersin sub-Saharan Africa.
Current African Union/NEPADanalysis on how to achieve theMillennium Development Goals(MDGs) in Africa will consider theimpact of social protection inreducing social exclusion. Some ofthe poorest African governmentsare already taking steps toestablish universal schemes totarget their older citizens (see box).
The UK Department forInternational Development hassupported a range of socialprotection studies, including theHelpAge International andDevelopment Initiatives survey, the compilation of a database on‘Social assistance in low incomecountries’,3 ILO surveys onfinancing, and a review by theInternational Poverty Centre (IPC)of the impact of conditional cashtransfers in Africa.4
The ILO is also undertaking a‘social security enquiry stocktake’across Africa to obtain up-to-datedata comparable to that held onOECD countries. It hopes that thiswill support the development ofsocial protection policies andprogrammes across the region.
Link with poverty reduction
The HelpAge International andDevelopment Initiatives surveyreviewed comparative studies ofthe impact and cost of conditionalcash and material transfers(dependent on school attendance,for example), and food transfers,as opposed to universal ‘social’cash transfers. A number ofstudies already show that cashtransfers are more sustainable andcost-effective than food transfers.The IPC study argues thatconditional cash transfers need to be pitched at a relatively highlevel in relation to GDP to be of real value to poverty reduction and MDG achievement.
The HelpAge International andDevelopment Initiatives surveyemphasised again the need to linksocial protection strategies with
Ageing and Development July 2005
Social protection schemes in Africa
� Lesotho introduced a social pension for 70-year-olds and older inNovember 2004, at a cost of approximately 2 per cent of GDP (US$22 per month per recipient, with 62,000 registered to date).
� The Tanzania government is exploring the cost and delivery of cashtransfers, after identifying social protection and transfers to the poorest as a goal in its revised poverty reduction strategy, published in 2005.
� Zambia’s forthcoming national social protection strategy has cashtransfers as a core element.
� Rwanda has established a social protection unit in its Ministry of Local Administration, Good Governance and Social Affairs. Programmes include a cash-for-work scheme funded by the EuropeanUnion and a Fund for Genocide Survivors providing school fees andaccess to healthcare for children of survivors.
� Swaziland announced a budget of US$4.9 million for ‘social welfare’grants to older people in April 2005. It intends to complete a database on older people to support the payments system by July 2005, and an integrated package of support to older people by 2006. Older carers of orphans and vulnerable children now receive regular cash transfers with funding from the Global Fund.
� Social protection, though not necessarily cash transfers, is identified as a key theme in the poverty reduction strategies of Ethiopia,Mozambique and Uganda.
� Cash transfers for identified groups form part of nationally-fundedgovernment policy in Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, Namibia and South Africa.
� Ghana envisages ‘mainstreaming the needs of the vulnerable andexcluded into general public policy’, including expanding the socialsecurity scheme.
� Kenya’s poverty reduction strategy advocates a focus on the poorestand most vulnerable, especially through healthcare and education.
What is social protection?
Social protection is defined by the ILO as ‘the provision of benefits tohouseholds and individuals through public or collective arrangements to protect against low or declining living standards’.
Social protection measures include basic education and healthcare, child and foster care grants, school support programmes, cash and food transfers, and social and contributory pension schemes. For olderpeople, pensions are a key element of social protection systems.
HelpAge International uses the term ‘social pension’ to describe regular, non-contributory cash transfers.5
5. Age and security: how social pensions can deliver effective aid to poor older people and their families, HelpAge International, 2004
‘Make Poverty History’ for older people
Make Poverty History is a 2005 campaign by UK-based NGOs, tradeunions and faith groups for trade justice, debt cancellation, and more and better aid to Africa.
HelpAge International and Help the Aged are calling specifically to Make Poverty History for Older People, advocating cash transfers to the poorest and most vulnerable older women and men in Africa, as a cost-effective way to tackle long-term, extreme poverty.
www.makepovertyhistory.org
8
Simeon Lewis, member of a senior citizens club in rural Jamaica,takes the microphone at a meeting with government representatives.
Nei
l Coo
per/
Hel
pAge
Inte
rnat
iona
l
ProfileTaking older people’s interests forward
Ageing and Development July 2005
a local NGO, the St CatherineCommunity Development Agency(SACDA).
Living conditions in the rural areasof St Catherine are difficult,especially for older people. Most have worked as subsistencefarmers or casual labourers andvery few receive pensions. With high unemployment, few canrely on their children for financialsupport.
Long distances to towns and lackof subsidised public transportmake services hard to reach. Government socialassistance programmes providean important safety net.
Raising rights in JamaicaIn Jamaica, the St Catherine Community Development Agency ishelping to bring grassroots experience into government thinking.Celia Till describes how.
About twenty older men andwomen are gathered for a meetingin a church building. Thediscussion revolves around socialsecurity benefits. Most of thosepresent have registered for thegovernment’s income securityscheme, but some have not yetreceived any benefits. Some havetried to register for a subsidiseddrugs scheme but been turneddown because they do not havethe necessary documentation.
These men and women aremembers of a senior citizens clubin rural Jamaica, who have addedadvocacy to their craftwork andsocial activities, with support from
SACDA has been working in threecommunities in the Parish of St Catherine since 1993,supporting a range of integratedcommunity development activities,including children’s rights clubs,parent education, support to smallbusinesses, health promotion,skills training and career guidance.
Its director, Nellie Richards, aformer social worker for theMinistry of Security and SocialJustice, seems to know everybodyin the community, and is as muchat ease talking with a group ofyoung men by the roadside asmingling with ministry officials.
Health a priority
SACDA began working directlywith older people in 1996. Health was an immediate priority.‘More than 90 per cent of theolder people in the communitywere unwell,’ says Nellie Richards.‘Some had not seen a doctor forthree years.’ SACDA arranged fora doctor to see older people at alocal clinic and make home visits.‘It was one of the best projects in terms of impact – once peoplefelt better, they could participate in community activities and domore for themselves.’
SACDA has established seniorcitizens clubs in three communitiesin St Catherine. With a totalmembership of around 200, theclubs are a vehicle for improvinghealth and nutrition, providingmaterial and financial assistance,supporting craft training, vegetable gardening and poultryrearing, and for social activities.
Promoting community action
Underlying all SACDA’s work is a commitment to participation, self-reliance and sustainabledevelopment. Since 2003, SACDAhas been supporting an oldercitizens monitoring project, inwhich older people monitor their access to three governmentsocial assistance programmes – a small cash benefit for poorhouseholds and two subsidiseddrugs schemes – and raise their voices with policy makers.
Elected leaders in each communityvisit older people in their neighbour-hood to talk about the programmes,find out who is accessing them andwhat problems they are having.They bring their findings to clubmeetings and agree how to followup – for example, by visitingpharmacies to encourage them toparticipate in the subsidised drugsscheme and petitioning the Ministry of Labour and SocialSecurity to speed up registration.
SACDA organised bulk registrationfor one of the subsidised drugsschemes after older people drewattention to problems.
Negotiating with government
In February 2005, older peoplespoke direct to governmentrepresentatives at a meeting in thecapital, Kingston, highlightingreasons why the programmes werefailing to reach many older peoplein rural areas. Older people havealso used skills developed withsupport from SACDA to advocateon other issues, such as the poorstate of the roads and distributionof inputs in the wake of HurricaneIvan in September 2004.
The project has also helped to raisethe profile of SACDA nationally. ‘It is providing the kind of feedbacknecessary for effective policyformulation,’ says Jenny Jones ofthe government’s social policyevaluation team, JASPEV. JASPEVhas invited SACDA onto theconsultation panel for developingindicators to track progress towardsgoals relating to older people.
And the future for older people?‘Our biggest priority is to continueto educate older people andsensitise them about their rights,because it is paying dividends,’says Nellie Richards.
The older citizens monitoring project issupported by HelpAge Internationalwith funding from the UK Departmentfor International Development.
More information:Nellie Richards, Director, SACDA, Main Street, Bog Walk PO, St Catherine, Jamaica. Email: [email protected]
9
Ageing and Development July 2005
Talking pointUnderstanding older people’s experience
Later in the year, experiencedresearchers within the workinggroup led a survey on the healthand socio-economic situation ofolder people in six districts ofUganda. District-level researchwas divided between the groupmembers, who trained and led a small team of local researchers in each district. After two months,the working group reconvened to collate findings and plandissemination activities.
Raised awareness
The cross-sectoral representationgenerated learning within thegroup and raised awareness ofhow issues of ageing impact inevery sector of policy. In particular,awareness of older people as avulnerable group has been raisedwithin the Ministry of Financethrough the presence of a ministry representative on theworking group.
The Ministry of Agriculture’s five-year strategic plan includes olderpeople as a target group.
The Ministry of Health’s draft five-year strategic plan has a sectionon the health care of older people.
Relationships are also beingdeveloped with organisations thathave not previously prioritisedolder people in their programming,including the World FoodProgramme and UNICEF.
Success factors
This was an impressivelymotivated team of senior peoplewith heavy workloads of their own.The team was formed as a resultof a long collaboration between
the NGOs and a champion withinthe Ministry of Health, who,understanding the need forintegrated approaches, providedfurther contacts.
Several factors contributed to thesuccess of this group. Memberswere able to plan time for theworking group in advance, andendorsement by the respectiveministries of their participation wasgranted at the beginning of theprogramme. Moreover their timewas valued through payment ofhonoraria.
Key success factors included:
� Time taken to establish goodcontacts
� Cross-section of departmentsrepresented
� Programme located within thegovernment, not NGO
� Working group had secretarialsupport
� Time planned ahead andresources available to undertaketasks
� Team of champions developedwithin government to continuemainstreaming work
� Track record and credibility ofNGO partners.
Mandy Heslop is Research andTraining Manager, HelpAgeInternational.
More information:Dolline Busolo, Regional Programme Coordinator,HelpAge International Africa RegionalDevelopment Centre, PO Box 14888, Westlands, 00800 Nairobi, KenyaEmail: [email protected]
Mainstreamingageing in UgandaThe Ugandan Government is acting on its commitment under the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing to mainstreamageing issues into development policy. Mandy Heslopdescribes how.
It is now three years since 159governments signed up to theMadrid International Plan of Actionon Ageing. At the heart of this plan is the recognition that olderpeople everywhere have a right to participate fully in, and benefitfrom, development processes.
To achieve this, older people’sneeds and contributions must berecognised and integrated acrossall sectors of government policy.Moreover, the plan links itsrecommendations to theMillennium Development Goals,committing governments toincluding older people in strategiescontributing to the global goal ofhalving extreme poverty.
Translating these intentions intoreality is a huge challenge, but the responsibility for this is sharedby civil society organisations,governments, and internationalagencies alike. The United Nations General Assembly hasendorsed a ‘bottom-up’ approachto review and appraisal of theMadrid Plan, which recognises the need for older people and civil society groups to participatein shaping government policy and programmes.
Innovative partnership
In 2003, an innovative partnershipcame together in Uganda, topromote mainstreaming of ageingin government policy. The partnersincluded the Uganda Reach the Aged Association (URAA),HelpAge International’s AfricaRegional Development Centre, and members of the Governmentof Uganda.
The programme was launchedduring a stakeholder meeting in
which government and NGOrepresentatives presented research on the situation of olderpeople and considered ways ofintegrating ageing issues across all policy areas.
To carry out the work, a 12-member cross-ministerial workinggroup was formed from theMinistries of Health; Gender,Labour and Social Development;Agriculture; and critically, Finance and Economic Planning,as well as the two NGO partners. During the first working groupmeeting, members agreed a one-year workplan.
An early task was a detailedreview of policies and sectorplans, identifying opportunities for greater inclusion of olderpeople. A key document was the Uganda Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP), which outlines the overall policyframework and budget priorities.
The PEAP identifies older peopleamong vulnerable groups to betargeted through social protection,and recognises their role as carers of people with HIV/AIDSand of orphans and vulnerablechildren. On the other hand, theHIV/AIDS plans and programmeslack interventions to support older carers.
For most of the group it was thefirst time they had analysed thenational policy response to ageing,and, for many, the first time theyhad considered policies outsidetheir own departments. Theworking group member from theMinistry of Finance was simul-taneously working on a revision of the PEAP, and was able to feedthe analysis into that process.
Focusing on the aged will taptheir experience, target resourcesto them and give them a sense of hope as an important group ofsociety.’Uganda Ministry of Agriculture’s five-year plan
‘
10
ResourcesNew publications, websites, conferences and courses
Ageing and Development July 2005
Journal articlesA round-up of what is being written on ageing issues. For journal detailsplease write to the editor or email:[email protected]
National
Actual and de facto childlessness inold age: evidence and implicationsfrom East Java, Indonesia Schroeder-Butterfill E and Kreager P,Population and Development Review31:1, March 2005
Growing old in St. Lucia: expectationsand experiences in a Caribbean village Kelly L, J. Cross Cultural Gerontology20:1, March 2005
Aging in the shadow of the law: thecase of elder guardianship in Israel Doron I, J. Aging and Social Policy16:4, 2004
Receipt of assistance and extendedfamily residence among elderly men in MexicoDe Vos S, Solis P and De Oca V M,Int. J. Aging and Human Development58:1, 2004, pp.1-27
Older persons of GhanaChuks J, Bold 15:1, November 2004
South African doctors and elderlypatientsFerreira M, Bold 15:1, November 2004
Disease and disability burden of elderly women in IndiaGoyal R S, Bold 15:1, November 2004
Older women in India: a case ofmultiple jeopardies Datta A, Bold 15:2, February 2005
Ageing in Nigeria: blessing or curse? Makinwa M, Bold 15:2, February 2005
The elderly of Indonesia: current policyand programmes Abikusno N, Bold 15:2, February 2005
International
Global aging: the challenge of success. How population ageing willchallenge all countriesKinsella K and Phillips D R, PopulationBulletin, Population Reference Bureau,2005www.prb.org/pdf05/60.1GlobalAging.pdf
Ageing and development Forsyth D, Age and Ageing 34:1,January 2005
A ‘new’ general theory of populationageing Michel J-P, The Geneva Papers 29:4,October 2004
Social security
Pension reform in the EU accessioncountries: challenges, achievementsand pitfalls Fultz E, International Social SecurityReview 57:2, April 2004
Reality and challenges of pensionschemes in Tunisia Houssi C, International Social SecurityReview 58:1, January 2005
Long term care policy for functionallydependent older people in theRepublic of KoreaSunwoo D, International SocialSecurity Review 57:2, 2004
Preferences for Korean seniors’housing Lee E and Gibler K M, J. PropertyInvestment and Finance 22:1, 2004
Long-term care policy for the elderly in the Zaporozhye region of Ukraine: a case study of social developmentfollowing the collapse of Communism Palley H A and Romanenkova L A, J.Aging and Social Policy 16:3, 2004
Chronic poverty and social protection Barrientos A and Hulme D (eds),European J. Development Research17:1 (special issue), March 2005www.chronicpoverty.org/Publications.htm (subscribers only)
Economic security for older women in IndiaAsharaf A, Bold 15:2, February 2005
The impact of adult mortality on theliving arrangements of older people in rural South AfricaHosegood V and Timæus I, Ageing and Society 25:3, May 2005,pp. 431-444
Older aged parents: the final safety net for adult sons and daughters withAIDS in ThailandKnodel J and Saengtienchai C, J. Family Issues 26:5, July 2005, pp. 665-698
Labour force
Ageing and employment policies;Czech Republic OECD, Source OCDE Finance etInvestissement 2004:16, July 2004
OECD economic surveys CzechRepublic: immigration policy:addressing the needs of an ageinglabour force OECD, OECD Economic Surveys2004:17, January 2005
Cross-cultural
The volunteer and the Sanyasin:archetypes of retirement in India andAmerica Savishinsky J, Int. J. Aging and Human Development 59:1, 2004
Linkages between migration and thecare of frail older people: observationsfrom Greece, Ghana and theNetherlandsVan der Geest S, Mul A and Vermeulen H, Ageing and Society 24,May 2004, pp. 431-450
Research in Africa
Special issue of Generations Review,15:2, April 2005:
Research on ageing in Africa: the need to forge directionsAboderin I
30 years of African research on ageing: history, achievements andchallenges for the futureApt N
Exploring the links between old ageand poverty in Anglophone WestAfrica: evidence from Nigeria andGhanaOgwumike F O and Aboderin I
Researching the impact of the AIDS epidemic on older-age parents in Africa: lessons from studies inThailandKnodel J
Racial differences in marital status and living arrangements of olderpersons in South Africa Mba C
Research on ageing in Africa: what do we have, not have and should we have? Ferreira M
Research capacity on ageing in Africa: limitations and ways forwardGachuhi J M and Kiemo K
Research and the formulation andimplementation of ageing policy inAfrica: the case of Nigeria Asagba A
The role of research in the work of HelpAge International in AfricaNhongo T
ReportsOld-age income support in the 21stcentury: an international perspective on pension systems and reformHolzmann R, Hinz R and World Bankstaff, World Bank, May 2005See news item on page 2
Ageing and poverty in Africa and therole of social pensionsKakwani N and Subbarao K, AfricaHuman Development, World Bank,March 2005 www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2005/05/03/000160016_20050503103912/Rendered/PDF/321780white0co1udy0P08313601public1.pdf
Government old age allowances as asocial pension for the rural poor andvulnerable older people in BangladeshKhan A H and Gorman M, HelpAgeInternational, April 2005Email: [email protected]
MDGs must target poorest say older peopleHelpAge International, 2005See news item on page 2
Do children act as old age security inrural India?: evidence from an analysisof elderly living arrangements Pal S, Cardiff Business School, 2004
Coping without children: comparativehistorical and cross-culturalperspectives. The role childlessnesscan play in the social exclusion of theelderlyKreager Pwww.ageing.ox.ac.uk/publications/papers/oia%20wp%20104.pdf
Rural parents with urban children:social and economic implications of migration on the rural elderly inThailand Knodel J and Saengtienchai C,Population Studies Center, University of Michigan, Institute forSocial Research, 2005www.psc.isr.umich.edu/pubs/pdf/ rr05-574.pdf
MDGs must target poorestsay older peopleSupplement to Ageing and Development
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)1 commit the world to halvingextreme poverty by 2015. The prime candidates for this assistance should be thevery poorest, including older people, ethnic minorities, people with disabilitiesand the very young. While the MDGs have specific targets on children and youththey are silent on issues of age, ethnicity and disability. As a result, these invisiblegroups are unlikely to benefit from the global effort to eradicate poverty.
100 million older people2 live on less than a dollar a day3 and 80 per cent of older people in developing countries have no regular income. They are less likely to benefit from interventions because:
They are often the most difficult to reach as they live in rural areas, face literacy and language difficulties, and experience physical constraints toparticipating in conventional development activities.
They are discriminated against on the basis of age and gender, are deemedeconomically invalid and denied their right to services.
The indicators used to measure MDG achievement obscure marginal groups by failing to disaggregate data by age, gender, disability and ethnicity.
If the MDGs are todeliver fair andequitable developmentthat reaches the verypoorest, an explicitlyrights-based approachto poverty reduction is needed, in additionto greater financialcommitment.
11
Ageing and Development July 2005
Dynamics of population ageing: how can Asia Pacific respond? Section of Economic and SocialSurvey of Asia and the Pacific,UNESCAP, 2005www.unescap.org/pdd/publications/survey2005/index.asp
Population ageing in the Caribbean: an inventory of policies, programmesand future challenges UN ECLAC, 2004(LC/CAR/G.772/Corr.1)
Union for African PopulationStudies reports
The challenge of ageing for socialsecurity in South Africa: challenges to social assistance in South Africa Samson M, 2004
Policy and programmatic measurestaken to meet the needs of the elderly: Africa’s response to a budding challengeSembajwe I, 2004
The changing role of older people inAfrican households and the impact of ageing on African family structuresNhongo T M, 2004 www.uaps.org/confageing/tavengwa.pdf
The erosion of traditional forms of care for the elderly and its implicationfor the elderly in Nigeria Okoye U O, Department of SocialWork, University of Nigeria, Enugu,2005
ConferencepapersProceedings of Asia-Oceania Regional Congress of Gerontologyand the International Association of Gerontology: Partners in Gerontology Information Exchangeand NetworkingGutman G, Geriatrics and Gerontology International 4:sl,September 2004
Precarious classes, neo-liberalglobalization and older womenTarg H, Targ D and Cormier C, Purdue University and West VirginiaUniversity, Paper from Center forGlobal Justice (Mexico) 2005Conference on Women andGlobalizationwww.GlobalJusticeCenter.org
Social protection in old age: a Bolivian case studySkinner E, University College Londonand Oxford Institute of Ageing, paper for Social Policy Conference,Oxford, 15 June 2005
Czech welfare state: changingenvironment, changing institutions Potucek M et al., Center for Social and Economic Strategies, CzechRepublic, 2004http://ceses.cuni.cz/downloads/studie/sesit04-07_potucek.pdf
Pension reform: how macroeconomicsmay help microeconomics – the Czech case: how to reform pensions:a win-win scenario Schneider O et al., Institute for Social and Economic Analyses, Czech Republic, 2004
Between thriving and decline: theJewish people 2004. PreservingJewishness for the future Jewish People Policy PlanningInstitute, Israel (2005)www.jpppi.org.il/downloads/2004_Annual_Assessment.pdf
Labour force withdrawal of the elderly in South Africa: the old agepension helps lift many older SouthAfricans out of the most extremeforms of poverty Lam D et al., Development PolicyResearch Unit (DPRU), University ofCape Town, South Africa, 2004
Non-contributory pensions andpoverty reduction in Brazil and South Africa Barrientos A, IDPM, Manchester, 2005www.eldis.org/static/DOC17786.htm
The state of aging and health in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean: healthstatistics and service provision for the elderly in Latin America and theCaribbeanMerck Institute of Aging and Health;PAHO, 2004www.miahonline.org/resources/reports
Ageing and employment policies:Korea OECD, Keese M, Reforming theemployment situation of the elderly inKorea, 2004:18, October 2004
World population prospects: the 2004revision highlights Department of Economic and SocialAffairswww.un.org/esa/population/publications/WPP2004/2004Highlights_finalrevised.pdf
World demographic trends: report of the Secretary General UN-NGLS, Overview of major globaldemographic trends, 2005www.un-ngls.org/World demographictrends - N0463983.pdf
World Ageing and GenerationsCongress29 September-1 October 2005St Gallen, Switzerlandwww.viva50plus.org/startup_e.htm
Mainstreaming Ageing in HealthSystems and Rural DevelopmentInternational Conference organised byPHILL Project: BRAC, Bangladesh;Health Strategy and Policy Institutet,Vietnam; Karolinska Institute, Sweden;University of East Anglia, UK 28-30 November, 2005, Dhaka,Bangladesh www.phillproject.net/events.htm
Global Ageing: Ageing Together8th Global Conference of theInternational Federation on Ageing30 May to 2 June 2006, Copenhagen, DenmarkThe conference will stress that ageing is both a global phenomenonand a global responsibility Themes: economics of ageing;opportunities of ageing; active ageing – ageing well; empowerment –participation Secretariat: ICS A/S Copenhagen Tel: +45 3946 0500 Fax: +45 3946 0515 Email: [email protected]
CourseDemographic aspects of populationageing and its implications for socio-economic development, policiesand plans7-18 November 2005Closing date for registration: 31 July 2005International Institute on Ageing, 117 St Paul Street, Valletta, VLT 07, Malta
A PAHO report focuses on ageing and health in Latin America.
Ant
onio
Olm
os/H
elpA
ge In
tern
atio
nal
ReferenceTerms behind pensions discussion:definition of terms used in pensionsystems World Bank, 2005www.worldbank.org
National archive of computerized dataon ageing (NACDA): database ofbibliographic citations of publicationson ageingInter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, USA www.icpsr.umich.edu/NACDA
Towards age-friendly primary health careSet of principles published by theWorld Health Organization to provide better care for older peoplewww.who.int/hpr/ageing/af_report.pdfEmail: [email protected]
CD-RomPreparing for China’s ageing challenge:the demographics and economics ofretirement policy in the 21st century Center for Strategic and InternationalStudies, 2005Email: [email protected]
EventsAging with Dignity – New Challenges– New Possibilities – New SolutionsInternational PsychogeriatricAssociation 12th Congress20-24 September 2005, Stockholm,SwedenSymposia include ‘Challenges of ageingresearch in low-income countries’Email: [email protected] www.ipa-online.org/ipaonlinev3/home/default.asp
12
Research updateMajor new projects
Ageing and Development July 2005
HelpAge International is a globalnetwork of not-for-profit organisationswith a mission to work with and fordisadvantaged older people worldwideto achieve a lasting improvement inthe quality of their lives.
Ageing and Development aims toraise awareness of the contribution,needs and rights of older people andto promote the development of laws and policies supporting older people. It is published twice a year by HelpAge International, with fundingfrom Help the Aged (UK).
Copies are available free of charge onrequest to policy makers, programmeplanners and researchers. Pleasecontact us with brief details of yourwork. If requesting multiple copies,please explain who these are for andhow they will be distributed.
Ageing and Development is availableon the web at: www.helpage.org
Editor: Celia Till
HelpAge InternationalPO Box 32832, London N1 9ZN, UK
Tel: +44 20 7278 7778Fax: +44 20 7713 7993Email: [email protected]&D email: [email protected]
Registered charity number: 288180
Regional centres
AfricaEmail: [email protected]
Asia-PacificEmail: [email protected]
CaribbeanEmail: [email protected]
Eastern Europe and Central AsiaEmail: [email protected]
Latin AmericaEmail: [email protected]
Any parts of this publication may bereproduced for non-profit purposes unlessindicated otherwise. Please clearly creditAgeing and Development and send us a copy of the reprinted article.
Designed by TRUE. Printed on recycled paper by Palmers Print.
ISSN 1466-1616
Front cover photo: Kate Holt/HelpAge International
Impact of pensions in Lesotho
A pilot study of the impact of theold-age pension in Lesotho is to be carried out by the Institute ofSouthern African Studies, NationalUniversity of Lesotho, part-fundedby the university and HelpAgeInternational.
In November 2004, the LesothoGovernment introduced a universalpension of M150 (US$22) a month to all citizens aged 70 ormore. The pension representsaround 1 per cent of nationalincome, 3 per cent of governmentexpenditure and 44 per cent of thehealth and social welfare budget.
The study, in the Roma Valley, willlook at the short-term impact ofthe pension on the wellbeing ofolder people, changes in relation-ships within and between house-holds, including whether familymembers have moved, changes in the status of pensioners, andchanges in their expenditure. It willalso look at whether pensions affectgrandparents’ willingness to care fororphans and other children affectedby HIV/AIDS, and whether familiesput pressure on them to do so.
Contact:Mark Gorman, Director of PolicyDevelopment, HelpAge International,PO Box 32832, London N1 9ZN, UKEmail: [email protected]
Data for national policy inZambia
Research into the social, economic,cultural and political situation ofolder people in Zambia is to becarried out with a view to develop-ing a national policy on ageing.
The study, coordinated by HelpAge International with fundingfrom the World HealthOrganization, will identify thelivelihood strategies, needs andcontributions of older people.
It will also identify social servicesavailable to older Zambians andconsider how accessible these are.Special attention will be paid toolder people’s access to healthservices, and their role as carers in the context of HIV/AIDS.
Urban migration in Thailand
Research from Thailand suggeststhat for many, probably most ruralThai older parents, the migration ofchildren to urban areas contributespositively to their material wellbeing.
Rural parents with urban children:social and economic implications of migration on the rural elderly inThailand by John Knodel andChanpen Saengtienchai (PSCresearch report 05-574, April 2005)explores the circumstances underwhich the migration of rural adultchildren to urban areas takes place,with attention to how parents and their situation influence thesedecisions, and the consequencesfor the social and economicwellbeing of parents who remainbehind in the rural areas after thechildren leave.
Negative impacts of migration onsocial support, defined in terms ofmaintaining contact and visits, havebeen attenuated by the advent oftechnological changes in commun-ication and also by improvementsin transportation. Phone contact,especially through mobile phones,is now pervasive, in sharp contrastto the situation 10 years earlierwhen it was extremely rare.
Contact:John Knodel, Population StudiesCenter, PO Box 1248, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248, USAEmail: [email protected]
The report can be downloaded fromwww.psc.isr.umich.edu/pubs/current-abs.html or obtained from PSCPublications Population Studies Center at the address above.
The research will employ acombination of qualitative andquantitative approaches including aliterature review, a survey of olderpeople and their families in selectedhouseholds in some provinces, andinterviews with other stakeholders.
Contact:Michael Munavu, Regional ProgrammeCoordinator, HelpAge International, PO Box 14888, Westlands, 00800Nairobi, Kenya Email: [email protected]
Pervasive poverty in Cambodia
Older persons in Cambodia: aprofile from the 2004 survey ofelderly by John Knodel, SouvanKiry Kim, Zachary Zimmer and SinaPuch (PSC research report 05-576,May 2005) provides a basic butcomprehensive demographic,social, economic and health profileof Cambodia’s older population,based on a survey of persons aged 60 and over in Phnom Penhand the five largest provinces.
More than two-fifths of the currentgeneration of older people inCambodia lost at least one childduring the Khmer Rouge ruleduring 1975-79. Close to a quarterof older women lost a husband.
Given the lack of alternatives,Cambodian elders rely heavily onfilial support, as indicated by highlevels of co-residence andcontributions of modest amounts of money and material goods from children.
Both the economic situation andhealth of Cambodian elders isgenerally unfavourable, reflectingthe pervasive poverty and under-development of the countryin general.
The report calls for greaterrecognition by the government andaid agencies of the needs andpotential contribution of this‘important but hitherto largelyignored segment of the population’.
Contact:John Knodel (details above)www.psc.isr.umich.edu/pubs/pdf/ rr05-576.pdf
Pervasive poverty affectsolder people in Cambodia.
Jon
Bug
ge/H
elpA
ge In
tern
atio
nal
Help the Aged provides core fundingto HelpAge International, and is also a leading partner of HelpAgeInternational’s global network of not-for-profit organisations.
