Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Africa’s Population at the age of 60 years of 46 million in 2015 is expected to reach 157 million by the year 2050.
Zambia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Lazarous Kapambwe says Africa’s population for the aged has been projected to triple in the next thirty years.
Mr. Kapambwe says it has been projected that the statistical percentage of the population of people at the age of 60 years and above for Africa will rise to 157 million by the year 2050 from 46 million in the year 2015.
He has urged African Governments to formulate policies that will serve to protect old persons from abuse, discrimination, marginalization and neglect.
Mr. Kapambwe says while Africa is often described as a youthful continent, the age structure in the region has dramatically changed due to the decline in fertility and mortality rates in the region.
Amb Kapambwe was speaking on behalf of Africa at the Fifty-Sixth Session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development discussing global review of the outcomes of the third review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing.
The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA) was adopted at the Second World Assembly on Ageing in April 2002 in Madrid and marked a turning point in how the world addresses the key challenge of building a society for all ages.
The Madrid Plan of Action offers a bold new agenda for handling the issue of ageing in the 21st-century and focuses on older persons and development, advancing health and well-being into old age, as well as ensuring enabling and supportive environments.
And Amb Kapambwe observed that older persons in many African countries often experienced human rights challenges which included age discrimination, abuse, neglect and gaps in the provision legal protection.
He however said Zambia has been implementing policies tailored to fulfill the rights of older persons to adequate standards of living through the social protection programmes.
He told the United Nations that Zambia has formulated policies meant to protect the aged through specific social protection programmes such as the Social Cash Transfer, Food Security Packs and Farmer Inputs Support Programme (FISP) mainly targeted at the vulnerable and potentially destitute older persons.
This is contained in a statement made available by First Secretary Press Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations Wallen Simwaka.