Nutrition and ageing in Africa

Abstract

Although the proportion of elderly people in African populations is much smaller than that in developed countries the absolute numbers of older Africans are rapidly increasing. The huge majority of Africans live in poor economic circumstances and few countries are able to offer social assistance programs. The health and wellbeing of older persons largely depend on the integral existence of informal services social support networks and kin support. African gerontologists have urged social welfare policy makers to take cognizance of self-organized intergenerational help systems already present on the continent and to make public-sector finance available to support these systems. Nutrition service programs should be included in such support systems These themes were some of those deliberated in the Third African Regional Workshop of the African Gerontological Association (AGES International) held in Nairobi Kenya from 12 to 17 April 1999. The AGES is presently chaired by Professor Nana Apt Head of the Centre for Social and Policy Studies at the University of Ghana. Dr Alexandre Kalache Chief Ageing and Health World Health Organization (WHO) gave the keynote address ‘Healthy ageing as a key development issue for Africa’. The Workshop which was attended by 140 participants from 11 countries showed that Africa has become an important new global player in the field of ageing nutrition and health status and that there is much to be learned from the continent in this regard. (excerpt)