The Nigerian government in collaboration with World Health Organisation (WHO), has held a National Summit on Healthy Ageing in the country.
The two days summit is to promote effective actions, foster multi-sectoral partnership and advocate for measures to ensure that healthy ageing remains a top priority in the national and subnational agenda towards attainment of UN Decade of healthy ageing 2020-2030.
The theme for the summit is Decade Of Healthy Ageing in Nigeria: “Situation, Challenges and Transformative Pathway.”
In her key note address, the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr. Salma-Anas Ibrahim said, President Bola Tinubu is committed to ensure Nigeria meet and realize it’s universal health care coverage, which also involve the health of the elderly people and no one will be left behind.
“The renewed hope health agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to cover over 50 million Nigerians and most of them, vulnerable, including the elderly people, the aged people within the next four years by the grace of God,” She said.
Dr. Salma-Anas added that, “We are optimistic that it is doable, and that we can tap the potentials and harness the contributions of all to achieve national development and socio economic growth of the country. We must recognize some efforts that have been done in the past, which gives us a lot of leverage.”
Speaking at the summit, The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health Ms. Kachollom Shangti Daju, said Nigeria is undergoing a demographic transition, with an increasing proportion of older persons in the population.
“According to the 2018 National Population Commission report, there are about 9.6 million Nigerians aged 60 years and above, representing 5% of the total population, this number is projected to rise to 20 million by 2030 and 44 million by 2050.”
Ms. Daju said older persons have specific health needs and vulnerabilities that require tailored and integrated health care services and have valuable contributions to make to the social, economic and cultural development of the nation, if they are empowered and supported to age with dignity and respect.
“Unfortunately, the current health situation in Nigeria is not conducive for healthy ageing. Nigeria’s health outcome indicators are still unacceptably high, with a maternal mortality ratio of 512 per 100 000, an infant mortality rate of 67 per 1000 live births and an under-five mortality rate of 132 per 1000 live births,” she said.
The Permanent Secretary said there is urgent need to address the health challenges of older persons in Nigeria and to promote healthy ageing as a national priority.
“This summit is a timely and strategic platform to bring together key stakeholders from the government, civil society, academia, private sector and international partners to discuss and identify innovative and sustainable solutions for improving the health and well-being of older persons in Nigeria,” she added.
In her welcome address, the Director & Head of Family Health Department Dr. Stella Nwosu said with reference to the huge contributions of older persons in communities, it’s of great importance to care for them in the area of their health and well-being.
“It is my sincere belief that any investment in their health and well-being is an investment in the right direction, which is why the government has taken this bold step by including and prioritizing their health issues.”
The WHO Country Representative to Nigeria, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo said in 2020, Decade of Healthy Ageing (2020-2030) was promoted, “WHO alongside other UN experts, civil society and the health professions have continued to support government of Nigeria’s efforts to discuss the five strategic objectives of the Global Strategy and Action plan on Ageing and Health while noting the progress and challenges in their realization.
“The strategy is at the center of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as ageing issues cut across the 17 goals, especially Goal 3 which aims to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being of all at all ages,” he said.
The WHO Country Representative, urged Nigerian Government to continue to exercise leadership and increased investment in human capital development to further strengthen partnership and prioritizing for the Decade of Healthy Ageing by focusing on improved engagement with older people.
“Better understanding of older peoples’ needs; developing and strengthening health and long-term care, specifically in communities and improved multi-sectoral action in aligning with the PHC system approach as we take opportunity of the recent PHC summit and its recommendations.”
Dr. Mulombo said, “Let us commit to engagement with older people, in all their diversities, to hear and amplify their voices, and ultimately with the aim to promote effective actions, foster multi-sectoral partnership and advocate for measures to ensure that healthy ageing remains a top priority in the national and sub-national agenda towards attainment of UN decade of healthy ageing 2020-2023.”
In her remark, the Director General National Senior Citizen Centre, (NSCC), Emem Omokaro Ph.D said HelpAge International Agewatch index 2015 ranked Nigeria as one of the worse countries to grow old as Nigeria was during two consecutive years placed 85th and 86th out of 91 countries respectively ranked using international comparable date.
“NSCC is hopeful that this summit also provides opportunity to end organizational isolation of health and social care of older persons, to enhance social inclusion by stakeholders’ commitment to initiating, facilitating, Coordinating where necessary and, where relative to their mandates, transformative multi-sector policy actions,” she said.
COST IMPLEMENTATION
At the end of the summit, WHO will provide all financial supports for this activity as indicated in the detailed budget from the Federal Ministry of Health.
