By Foday Moriba Conteh
As part of their efforts in supporting the Aged in the country, the Health Care For The Aged, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, has on Friday 1st October, 2021 joined the world to commemorate this year’s International Day of Older Persons on the theme: “Digital Equity for all Ages” at an impactful event which included a football match among older persons, free pressure checkup and treatment, food distribution etc. held at the Attouga Mini Stadium in the East End of Freetown.
Speaking during the ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer for Healthcare For The Aged, Mohammed .S. Bah, disclosed that Health Care For The Aged is an organization that has been championing issues of the aged across the country and over the years their organization has been working towards the development of the Aged in the country, adding that through their activities like providing medication and cash to the Aged they have been able to reach the unreached older persons in various deprived communities in the country.
He noted that 3 % of the country’s population constitutes the Aged but said these older persons are faced with so many challenges ranging from neglect, poverty etc. stating that his organization had been providing different types of medication to the Aged.
Mohammed .S. Bah stated that the International Day of Older Persons, is celebrated on October 1 each year to create awareness about mental and physical health issues affecting the elderly and the abuses they face in their daily lives of which they thought it fit to partner with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security in order to create awareness about mental and physical health issues affecting older people.
He disclosed that “Digital Equity for All Ages” is the theme for this year’s International Day of Older Persons and that the theme stresses the need for the elderly to receive access to the digital world and help them become active participants to enrich their lives, adding that as an origination they will ensure that they domesticate the theme so it can reflect on the Aged in the country.
The CEO ended by saying that old people should not be considered as liabilities to society but rather should be given the care they deserve and they should be considered very important in society.
On his part, the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Security, Lansana Mohammed Bangura, commended the Healthcare For The Aged for their support to the older people across the country.
He reaffirmed Government’s commitment in ensuring that the Aged have conducive and improved living conditions, adding that the social safety net cash transfer for the aged is a department at the Labor Ministry that is charged with the responsibility to look into the affairs of the Aged and has been doing so over the years.
Lansana Mohammed Bangura maintained that during late President Kabba’s era, many Aged people benefited from cash transfer which the current Government is working on in order to roll it out again on a different magnitude.
He revealed that the Government of Sierra Leone is currently working on building houses across different regions for Aged people across the country, but funding remains a challenge.
One of the beneficiaries, Esther Mansaray, applauded Health Care for the Aged for celebrating this year’s International Day of Older Persons. She further pointed out some the good deeds that Health Care for the Aged had done for them which includes helping them with foodstuff, cash, and medication.
She noted that for far too long they have been neglected by society but said the Health Care for the Aged has demonstrated that there are still organizations that do care about older persons in the country.
She called on the Government to always support organizations like Health Care for the Aged that are ensuring that the Aged are supported across the country.
