Ethiopian Informer
ADDIS ABABA: Natural and manmade shocks and stresses affects households, infrastructure and system resilience in Ethiopia, the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) has said.
The UNFPA made the remarks in its recent Rapid Review of Healthy Aging and Long-term Care Systems in East and Southern Africa: Country Summary Report for Ethiopia.
Ethiopia is the largest country in East and Southern Africa in terms of population size, with a total projected population of almost 115 million in 2020, according to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Of this population, approximately 5.3 percent or around 6.1 million people are over the age of 60 years, making it the country in East and Southern Africa with the largest population of older people.
According to the UNFPA, In-line with demographic trends elsewhere in the region, this proportion is projected to rise to 9.1 per cent by 2050.
It emphasized that the severe drought and ongoing conflict in Northern Ethiopia are causing significant disruption and displacement in the country, with food, water, basic services, and medical supplies being severely limited.
“Older people are particularly vulnerable in humanitarian settings, and Ethiopia provides a good example of the need to specifically address the needs of older persons in this type of context,” the UNFPA said.
The UNFPA report provides an overview of population aging and health trends in Ethiopia, and assesses the readiness and responsiveness of health, social welfare and long-term care systems to aging and the needs of older people in the country.
It assesses the state of frameworks and structures in place to support healthy aging and provides a set of recommendations to inform policy development and strategic interventions going forward.
