Older Persons Fighting HIV/AIDS in South Africa

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently analyzed HIV/AIDS issues among older people in  South Africa. What did the researchers find?

Increasingly older people are contracting HIV/AIDS. However, existing data does not specify how many have been infected. Also, WHO says that  older people continue to be excluded from HIV prevention and treatment programmes.  UNAIDS estimates that 2.8 million people 50 years and older were living with HIV in 2006 and the prevalence of HIV in South Africa among people age 50-54 was 10.8%, 4.5% among those aged 55-59, and 3.9% among those aged 60 and over.  But we don't have current data.

Older people in nearly every culture depend on family support.  Usually younger persons care for the most old or infirm.  However, HIV/AIDS changes such family relationships.  When adult children die, older persons once again step in to head the household and care for orphaned children. The number of grandparents caring for AIDS orphans in developing countries has doubled over the last ten years.  At least half of the world’s 15 million AIDS orphans are being cared by a grandparent. As GAA has pointed out many times, older caregivers are often women who face serious financial, physical and emotional stress due to their caregiving responsibilities in their later years.

Here are some WHO recommendations to citizens and governments to reduce the heavy impact of HIV/AIDS on older people:

• provide concrete support to older people, such as social pensions;
• train HIV/AIDS service and health providers on gerontological issues;
• insure psychological and medical support for older people living with ill family members;
• include older people in HIV/AIDS education/training programmes

Susanne Paul
Global Action on Aging

China covers some 484 Million Citizens with a Pension Plan

Xinhua Web Editor, Mao Yaqing, reports that nearly 500 million Chinese are now covered by a pension plan.  The program extends to over 300 million urban Chinese and has doubled the percentage of those with pension coverage since 2007.  This is an outstanding achievement for the people of China. 

 

China's pension system covered 484 million people as of 2012. "Gross revenues for social insurance funds totaled 2.85 trillion yuan (457.45 billion U.S. dollars) and gross expenditures reached 2.21 trillion yuan in 2012, 2.63 times and 2.8 times that of five years ago, respectively, the ministry said. Basic endowment insurance per capita has increased 86 percent compared with five years ago," according to the news account. China's social insurance funds comprise five parts: basic endowment insurance for the elderly, basic medical insurance, unemployment insurance, work-related injury insurance and maternity insurance. As the world's most populous country, China faces enormous challenges to support its current and future older citizens.  Only fifteen years ago, China was creating a fully developed pension program for its population. Now, the results can be seen for its urban citizens.   As in other nations, China must also face the needs of its citizens in the country-side where pensions appear more difficult to create, fund and distribute. If you have first-hand knowledge of these developments, please share them with Global Action on Aging.    Susanne Paul Global Action on Aging

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Why don't More Older Persons organize for Our Rights?

Dear GAA Blog Reader,

Over the last week, I've posted several articles describing how the Governments of South Korea, China and the US are threatening to reduce their existing social security programs.   None of these programs appear to be adequate to meet the needs of their older citizens.  But why don't older people rise up against these threats that can shorten and reduce our last days to miserable conditions?

A visiting friend at dinner last night suggested an explanation that I want to test with you.   He suggested that governments appear to be threatening elders in this way:  "They tell older citizens that their needs will take national resources away from the young--their childen and their grandchildren."  The message:  "Stop complaining about social support programs; if we governments spend on you, we won't have enough resources to provide for the young."

Our friend thinks that older persons must see this propaganda for what it is: a way to ignore the social needs of elders and claim that it's unfair to want social programs and other programs in old age.

Of course, the issue of greater taxes for the upper 1% goes unnoticed. 

What do you think?  Do you hear this argument in your country?  Please comment to Global Action on Aging.

Have a good week! 

Susanne Paul for Global Action on Aging 

Older Japanese: A Crisis or an Opportunity?

Japanese Daily Press Reporter Ida Torres reports on older Japanese citizens who are dying alone as public and family support disappears.  The growing number of older persons 65 years and old will shortly constitute one in three Japanese citizens.  This is a triumph for the Japanese society that has  produced sufficient food, health, shelter and more throughout their lives, enabling citizens to live a long life.  

Some bemoan the decreasing birth rate.  However, we can see this situation as a breakthrough to lowering the world population and the resources that it will consume as the global climate changes.  The question, really, is whether the government and Japanese people are willing to support via taxes or other means, their elder citizens, and take responsibility to replace the disappearing family systems. 

What’s happening in your country?  Do public taxes or other programs support quality caregiving of older citizens?  Please comment to Global Action on Aging

Susanne Paul for GAA