Blogs

East Africa drought: Older people expect the worst

I flew into Addis Ababa at short notice to document the plight of older people in Ethiopia. It has not rained in the Borana region for almost 15 months. To my surprise, I was greeted by rain in Addis....

Challenges of dealing with TB in older people

"The intention to screen is the intention to treat." The most important statement of most tuberculosis (TB) control strategies! Of all population groups, the above statement is most relevant to older people. As the TB epidemic grows, the issues...

Partners for better health in Haiti

Older people in Haiti now have better access to health care and medical treatment thanks to an agreement signed between HelpAge and three public health centres to provide free services. "This is my first visit here and I was...

Older Cambodians use ADA as a powerful advocacy platform

Hello! I am Ven Sarith, Project Manager at HelpAge International’s Cambodia office. I am happy to have the chance to share Cambodia’s experiences of the Age Demands Action (ADA) campaign. HelpAge International in Cambodia implements practical

International Widows’ Day: Triple vulnerability?

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 23 June 2011 as the first ever International Widows' Day. "Another International Day" we may sigh. At this stage every day in the year must be at least an international day for...

Older people and climate change in Kenya

Many studies have shown that the world population is increasing at an alarming rate. The global population will soon hit the seven billion mark and recently released projections from the UN show that by 2050, the global population could...

Changing attitudes to stop witchcraft accusations

I was at a meeting recently with one of our partners TAWLAE (Tanzania Women Leaders in Agriculture & Environment) talking to older people about the successes of our projects which address violence against older women and attacks on older...