Uganda will be joining the rest of the world in celebrating the International Day of Elder Persons, which will be commemorated on October 1, 2023, at Humura Primary School Playgrounds in Kyegegwa District, under the theme ”Healthy Ageing: A Call for Action.”
Dominic Mafwabi Gidudu, the Minister of State for Elderly Affairs, said while addressing the media at the Uganda Media Centre on Tuesday, September 1, 2023, that this day is observed every year on October 1, since the year 1991, when it was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly.
“Commemoration of the International Day for Elder Persons is one of advocacy activities the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development undertakes in fulfilment of its constitutional mandate, which is provided under the National Objectives, that obliges society and the state to recognise the rights of elder persons and respect humanity,” Gidudu said.
He noted that, between 2017 and 2050, the number of elderly persons is predicted to increase from 652 million to 2.1 billion. By 2047, there will be more elderly persons compared to children.
According to the National Household Survey 2019/2020, 21% of households had elderly persons aged 60 years and above, and more than 75% of elder persons take care of vulnerable children as either orphans or grandchildren, overloading their survival mechanisms.
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) report on the household survey for 2019/2020 indicates that the population of older persons increased from about 1.7 million (4.6%) of the total population in 2016/17 to 2.2 million (5.4% of the total population) in 2019/2020.