KAMPALA: The government has unveiled the National Guidelines on Healthy Ageing, a framework for providing care and support for older people. The new guidelines seek to provide information to both older people and the entire aging population on how to navigate their changing health and living conditions as they grow older.
The Gender, Labour and Social Development Ministry unveiled the guidelines during the national celebrations of the International Day of Older Persons at Nebbi Town Secondary School grounds in Nebbi Municipality held on Saturday.
The State Minister of State for Elderly Affairs, Dominic Mafwabi Gidudu, who represented President Yoweri Museveni, said that the healthy aging guidelines are a key milestone in ensuring that citizens live healthy, meaningful, and dignified lives. He further says that the government is committed to supporting older people in the country.
Some of the key objectives of the national guidelines on healthy ageing are to support older people in the prevention, management, and control of diseases as well as to promote appropriate social relationships and networks for older people. Dr. Bayo Fatunmbi, the World Health Organization Officer-in-Charge, says that the Guidelines will greatly support older people to manage issues that come with old age, like illness.
While reading the statement for the State Minister of State for Elderly Affairs, Dominic Mafwabi Gidudu, and the minister of state for Northern Uganda, Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny, noted that the process of developing the Uganda National Guidelines on Healthy Ageing has been consultative and participatory in nature, involving all key stakeholders.
In 2021, during the celebrations to mark the International Day for Older Persons, President Yoweri Museveni tasked the ministry of gender to develop guidelines to address challenges associated with old age like lifestyle change, diet, keeping busy, exercise, work, and keeping good company. Currently, the population of older people in Uganda is estimated at 1.6 million, and it is expected to increase to 5.5 million in 2050.