Last week, the 51st session of the Commission for Social Development (CSD) began at the United Nations in New York. Each year, the Commission takes up key social development themes; the focus this year is on empowerment. This CSD...
I jumped at the opportunity to review "Transforming Cash Transfers: Beneficiary and community perspectives on the Senior Citizen Grant in Uganda", a new briefing by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI). After only about a year of delivering payments,
I visited Cambodia as a HelpAge volunteer and was lucky to see HelpAge field projects in late January. Several projects are happening in Cambodia at the moment, including work on livelihoods, food security and healthcare. Those I visited focused...
‘'When we go to health facilities, we're not treated well and we queue for hours. Even though the Government has a mandate to provide free healthcare, we don't have ID cards to access it and health workers' still have...
Yesterday, I had the honour of moderating the roundtable debate on ageing and disability with my colleague AK Dube of the African Decade of Persons with Disabilities, as part of this week's meeting of the UN High-level Panel in...
During my visit to West Darfur state in late September last year, I attended a training session in agricultural skills, organised by HelpAge and for members of older people's committees and caregivers in the internally displaced people (IDPs) camps...
Last week, I was at the World Economic Forum. It was a productive few days, with lots of interesting discussions happening. Here are just some of the points I have taken from my time in Davos. On economics, politics...
With an estimated 1.2 million people over the age of 60, Mozambique has the third largest older population in Southern Africa. However, unlike many of the countries in the region, it does not have a social pension with extensive...
Today, hunger is the world's most shocking problem and toughest challenge. One in eight people on this planet are living with the pain of hunger. And yet, our planet provides enough food for everyone. It's unfair, it's unjust and...
There is growing recognition of the extent and impact of increasing longevity. By 2030, there will be more people globally aged older than 60 than children under 10, and 73% of older people will live in developing countries. Africa...
Last Saturday, around 500 older people from Metro Manila and of various faiths came together to offer spiritual support to those affected by the recent disasters in Mindanao, south Philippines. The rally also included young people and took place...
The Washington Post has recently reported on a new law in China which requires children to visit their older parents, lest they want to be sued. The article states: "A rapidly developing China is facing increasing difficulty in caring...
