Addis Ababa, 20 August 2016 – In a bid to ensure healthy and dignified ageing in the Region, African Ministers of Health endorsed an implementation framework for the Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Ageing and Health. The endorsement took place during the 66th session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa that is in session in Addis Ababa on 19–23 August 2016.

The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, called for greater political commitment to facilitate programmes on awareness and advocacy as well as provision of adequate services for the elderly.  “To ensure healthy ageing, countries in the Region need to adopt national policies on ageing and take concrete actions to implement the Global Strategy on Ageing,” she urged.  “Putting in place appropriate preventive care of non-communicable diseases in younger ages, fostering age-friendly primary health care for older populations and strengthening family, community and social support for the elderly are important first steps towards this.”

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) – such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, visual and hearing impairment, the decline of mental capacities (dementia) and injuries – are responsible for most of the morbidity and death among people aged 60 years and older.  These, combined with the natural ageing process, cause disability in the elderly, adversely affecting their quality of life.

In Africa, while old age is not regarded as a burden – with older people seen as contributors to the social upbringing of the young, as educators and advisers, giving moral support and promoting positive social values ­– the provision of crucial services and care hasn’t been institutionalized. This leaves individuals and families as solely responsible for the elderly, often with negative consequences.  Hence, there is need to include ageing into national frameworks for social and economic development and human rights.

The implementation framework endorsed by the 66th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa aims to create a favourable environment and appropriate means to implement the global strategy and plan of action on ageing and health.  Key in this framework are increasing awareness and accelerating actions for healthy ageing in the Region, producing evidence for action, and fostering partnerships for healthy ageing.

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For more information, please contact:

Dr Felicitas Zawaira, Director of Family and Reproductive Health Cluster, WHO AFRO; Tel: +242 065 104 614; Email: zawairaf [at] who.int (zawairaf[at]who[dot]int)

Loza Mesfin Tesfaye, Communications Officer, WHO AFRO; Tel: +251 911 144 194; Email: tesfayel [at] who.int (tesfayel[at]who[dot]int)

Collins Boakye-Agyemang, Regional Communications Adviser, WHO AFRO; Tel: + 242 06 520 6565; Email: boakyeagyemangc [at] who.int (boakyeagyemangc[at]who[dot]int) 

Fabienne Aboua, Communications Officer, WHO AFRO; Email: abouaf [at] who.int (abouaf[at]who[dot]int)

Pieter Desloovere, Communications Consultant, WHO AFRO; Email: deslooverep [at] who.int (deslooverep[at]who[dot]int)

AFR/RC66/8 Multisectoral action for a life course approach to healthy ageing: global strategy and plan of action on ageing and health: implementation framework for the African Region