As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark elder abuse awareness day, journalists under the aegis of the Journalists network for ageing led by Comrade Maxwell Eseigbe have called for speedy implementation of Policies that will ensure protection of the rights of older persons in Nigeria.
In a statement to mark the daywhile lamenting the fact that 4.9% of older persons in Nigeria live with dementia and find it difficult to access geriatric care due to the few numbers of geriatric doctors in Nigeria and the high cost of health care services, they called on government to subsidize health care for older persons with immediate effect.
JONAN also pointed to the rising cost of transportation which adds to the burden of mobility for older persons, they also urged the government to put in place a system where senior persons pay 50% of the fare as obtains in some countries to prevent social exclusion of older persons in line with the UN’s international plan of action on ageing which emerged from the 2002 World Assembly and included as a priority “Ensuring enabling and supportive environments which enhance mobility and lead to greater independence for older persons.
The Chairman of JONAN, Comrade Eseigbe lauded the Federal Government for the various efforts to build strategic networks through the senior citizens center and urged that speedy actions be taken to implement the laudable national policy on Ageing which will go a long way to end elder abuse in Nigeria and protect the rights of older persons.
They called on Nigerians to respect older persons bearing in mind that all individuals irrespective of their Present age will someday become older persons themselves.
The Journalists network for ageing in Nigeria is a group of journalists advocating for the rights of older persons in Nigeria.
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