Parliament on Tuesday debated and adopted a motion urging the government to improve health services for older persons (geriatric healthcare). It also urged the government to strengthen social protection programmes for older persons across Uganda.
The motion was moved by Asha Nabulo Mafabi, Sironko District Woman Member of Parliament, who called for urgent measures to address the growing healthcare and social protection needs of the country’s ageing population.
The resolution seeks, among other measures, the introduction of health insurance targeting older persons, expansion of community and home-based healthcare, establishment of dedicated geriatric units, training of specialised health workers and expansion of the Senior Citizens Grant under the Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) programme.
Moving the motion, Mafabi noted that the Constitution of Uganda, 1995, obliges the State to take all practical measures to ensure the provision of basic medical services to the population.
She also cited Uganda’s ratification of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 1966, which recognises the right of everyone to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
Mafabi said the Government had demonstrated commitment to the welfare of older persons through policy frameworks such as the National Policy for Older Persons and the National Social Protection Policy, as well as programmes such as SAGE.
However, she said more than 1.4 million Ugandans aged 60 and above continue to face significant challenges, including a disproportionate burden of non-communicable and age-related illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, cancer and dementia.
She argued that the existing Senior Citizens Grant of Shs25,000 per month is insufficient to meet the basic and healthcare needs of older persons, while many eligible people remain outside the programme because of its coverage and age requirements.
Supporting the motion, Kole South MP Boniface Okot said the debate demonstrated a broad recognition that old age is a stage of life that every person should prepare for.
Okot referred to recent Government pronouncements on reforms to the SAGE programme, including lowering the eligibility age from 80 to 65 years and increasing the monthly grant from Shs25,000 to Shs35,000. He said older persons were now waiting for clarity on when the changes would actually take effect.
Older Persons Representative Catherine Mavenjina Akumu also supported the motion, saying the country has a responsibility to care for people who have contributed to Uganda’s development.
Akumu said geriatric specialists remain extremely few in Uganda, making access to specialised care particularly difficult for elderly people in rural areas.
Rukiga County MP Patrick Kiconco Katabaazi, a former coordinator of the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Social Protection, called for greater financing of social protection.
He said the SAGE programme currently has a budget of about Shs121 billion and supports approximately 316,000 older persons.
Minister of State for Elderly Affairs Jacqueline Mbabazi, who is also the Older Persons Representative for Western Uganda, acknowledged the challenges raised by MPs.
Mbabazi said Uganda has only a handful of geriatric health professionals and does not currently train sufficient geriatric healthcare personnel.
She said the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development is engaging the Ministry of Health on ways to strengthen geriatric care and is also working with Macquarie University on incorporating geriatric medicine and nursing into the training curriculum for health workers.
Government Chief Whip and former Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng supported the motion, saying it comprehensively addresses the healthcare needs of older persons, including the training of geriatric doctors and nurses.
Aceng said the Ministry of Health is already implementing training for geriatric nurses through a public-private partnership, although she acknowledged that the country needs significantly more specialised personnel.
She said Uganda currently has only three geriatric doctors, who are based at Mulago, despite the country’s estimated 1.4 million older persons being spread across the country. The adoption of the motion places renewed pressure on Government to translate its policy commitments on ageing into concrete investments in healthcare, income security and dignified living for older Ugandans-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
