International Day for Older Persons, Ugu District, KwaZulu-Natal
1 October 2007
As a mother and a grandmother, I am proud to share this day with all the
special older persons in KwaZulu-Natal. You are all special because in spite of
the many hardships you suffer and the great family burden you carry, you still
show us wisdom and strength in being the pillars of our often troubled
communities. The Department of Health has an obligation to keep you healthy and
ensure that you receive all forms of support.
The theme for this year's International Day for Older Persons is 'Addressing
the Challenges and Opportunities of Ageing: Empowering Older Persons.' As a
country, South Africa is committed to strive towards empowering older persons
so that they can face their many challenges with greater ease and success. This
year's event is evidence of our firm commitment as the Office of the Premier,
the Department of Social Development and the Department of Health to work
together to strive jointly toward empowering you.
Our country is committed to implementing the International Strategy on
Ageing as it recognised that you, as older persons are custodians of our
traditions, our heritage and our past as well as mirrors of our future. The
International Strategy on Ageing has three priorities:
* older persons and development
* advancing health and well-being into old age
* creating a supportive and an enabling environment.
The Department of Health, together with other government departments,
recognises the need to implement strategies that are in line with these three
priorities and that will address the challenges of ageing while empowering the
older person. South Africa has been selected by the World Health Organisation
(WHO) to participate in a ground-breaking household Study on Global Ageing and
Adult Health (Sage), the first of its kind to be conducted in this country.
South Africa is one of six countries that are taking part in this survey. The
study will provide governments in developing countries with comparable data
most-needed for effective health-policy planning.
It is estimated that by the year 2025, the global population of people over
50 will have exceeded the numbers of persons younger than 15 years. Today,
about two thirds of all older people are living in the developing world, by
2025, it will be 75%. This demographic change has several implications for
public health and when these conditions do occur in older people, primary
health services must provide accessible, integrated and regular care.
The goals of Sage are to promote a better understanding of the effects of
ageing on well-being, to examine the health status of individuals aged 50+
years and changes, trends and patterns that occur over time, and to improve the
capacity of researchers to analyse the effects of social, economic, healthcare
and policy changes on current and future health.
The National Health Act (No 61 of 2003), policies, strategies and structures
will ensure that the Department of Health meets the health needs of our older
persons. We are aware that older persons experience specific health problems
and that their specific needs are related to the fact that many persons are
poor and have difficulty accessing services. Health workers receive and are
trained on the use of guidelines for conditions affecting older persons that
have been developed and implemented in healthcare facilities. Some examples
that are applicable to older persons are the management of hypertension,
diabetes, overweight and obesity, stroke, osteoporosis, arthritis and
prevention of chronic diseases of lifestyle. We also provide screening for
different conditions such as refractive errors of the eyes and different
cancers. In addition we are also focus on foot health, active ageing and
prevention of falls.
Any older person that meets the criteria outlined in the policy document
will also qualify and therefore not pay for any health services at hospital
level including, when you are being treated at hospital, when you need
specialised care and if you require assistive devices. Many persons, especially
those who are 60 years and older become needlessly blind as a result of
cataract. The Vision 2020 Prevention of Blindness Programme in line with the
World Health Organisation Vision 2020 Programme, identified cataract surgery as
one of the most cost-effective interventions to reduce avoidable blindness.
A Public Private Partnership exists between the Department of Health and the
Bureau for the Prevention of Blindness, which renders cataract surgery in rural
areas in the country on behalf of the department. The total cataract operations
performed since 1997, when the programme started, is more than 260 000. Some of
the other programmes available for older persons are dental care, cancer
prevention and screening and food supplement for chronically ill patients who
are malnourished. The process of establishing support groups for older persons
with chronic conditions in the communities is in place.
While it once seemed that health problems are inevitable in older age, the
department firmly believes that many diseases can, in fact, be controlled or,
even prevented. Thus, although we strive to empower our clinics and community
health centres to promote health and prevent or manage diseases of older
persons, we also emphasise the enormous need for older persons to adopt healthy
lifestyles.
Some ways in which our older people can reap health benefits are to improve
their diet and nutrition, maintain an appropriate weight, stop smoking, use
alcohol and medicine wisely and do regular physical activity and exercise. The
promotion of healthy lifestyles is one of the key priorities of the department
for the next five years. The benefits of the healthy lifestyle programme are
also intended to show value on the quality of lives of older persons.
Therefore, the promotion of active ageing is important for older persons.
The adoption of healthy lifestyles and actively participating in one's own
care are important. Thus, there is no better way to celebrate today by
promoting active ageing, which will advance health and well-being into old age.
One of the myths of ageing is that it is too late to adopt such lifestyles in
the later years. On the contrary, engaging in appropriate activity, healthy
eating, not smoking and using alcohol and medication wisely in older age can
prevent diseases and improve your quality of life.
The department however acknowledges that while older persons may want to
engage in healthier lifestyles, they experience many challenges. Perhaps at
present are the many difficulties you face as a result of the impact of
families being infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. You need to be supported,
given information and capacity during the time of great burden while you take
care of sick children, experience grief at the time of their death and take
care of grandchildren who are orphaned in the process.
Additionally, the healthy lifestyles of many older persons continue to be
compromised by the ongoing unacceptable physical, psychological and sexual
abuse they experience. The Department of Health is represented on the Human
Rights Commission and is thus closely involved in the monitoring of the abuse
of the elderly. The government and community at large have a moral obligation
to jointly protect the rights of older persons. When healthcare is needed older
persons have equal access to free primary healthcare packages of services at
clinics, home based care as well as palliative care.
Government strives to have the necessary policies and structures in place to
create an appropriate environment for our older persons, which will enable us
to reach the goals identified in the United Nations Principles for Older
Persons. These principles are independence, participation, care,
self-fulfilment and dignity. We undertake to help you access all health
services that government is making available to you. Our institutions should be
'age friendly.' For instance, we should ensure that we maintain sufficient
stock of medicine for chronic illnesses affecting older persons. There is no
reason for our older persons to come to a health facility more than once to
collect their medicine when the clinics are out of stock.
We strive to have quality health services available that is affordable for
the country. Our provinces are working hard to deliver cost effective health
services, including special needs of our older persons. The department has
systems in place to measure the provinces' performance of their Health
Programme for Older Persons. The Eastern Cape province was the best performing
province during 2006/07 and will receive the floating trophy. Congratulations
on this achievement!
A final word to all our older persons:
* we are here to celebrate and acknowledge your contribution and effort
towards a better South Africa for all of us
* we thank you for being the source of knowledge and values, also for a rich
heritage of survival skills you bring to us
* we thank you for your unselfish giving of yourself to the country
* we recognise your contribution that you are making to the sustenance of
families and communities, especially in the face of the HIV and AIDS
pandemic.
Your adult children return home to seek care when AIDS has ravaged them to a
point of helplessness. We thank you for caring for your grandchildren and
others less fortunate than yourselves. Let all South Africans assist our older
persons to be safe and live free of abuse and violence; and oppose
discrimination against older persons in all areas of life.
To all older persons in South Africa, we salute you!
Issued by: Department of Health
1 October 2007
Source: Department of Health (http://www.doh.gov.za)
