CAMEROON: Oct 1 is International Day for the Aged

MAROUA, Cameroon (Cameroon Tribune), September 27, 2006: The Minister of Social Affairs, Catherine Bakang Mbock, presided over the launching ceremony of the International Day for Aged Persons in Maroua yesterday. The 16th edition of the International Day for Aged Persons will take place on October 1, 2006. The theme for this year is "Create a favourable environment and protect aged persons through improving their quality of life". Activities to mark the day in Cameroon kicked-off in Maroua in the Far North Province yesterday. The Minister of Social Affairs, Catherine Bakang Mbock, presided over the launching ceremony. According to resolution no 45/106 of 1990, the United Nations Organisation decided to celebrate 1st October of each year as the International Day of the Aged Persons (JIPA). The first edition was celebrated in 1991. The decision responds to the major preoccupation of the international community with regards to the ageing population. The first manifestations the United Nations was during the World Summit on Ageing Persons which took place from July 26 to August 6, 1982 in Vienna, Austria. Since United Nations is working hard to ensure that countries include in their polices the preoccupations of elderly persons in view of finding adequate solutions to the problems of this age group. United Nations statistics hold that the number of persons above 60 years stood at 600 million in 2000 and will reach two billion in 2050.This will represent six percent of the population in developing countries with an average of 88 men for 100 women. Cameroon with a population of 15,292,000 inhabitants has 917,520 people above 60 years. It is certain that these figures will increase in future following the demographic growth rate of 3% in the developing countries and the progress of medicine. The Madrid Plan of action on aging people and the declaration adopted in April 2002 by the second World Assembly on Ageing people marked a turning point in the manner in which world faces the essential challenge of edifying a society for old persons. The plan of action proposed a new approach on how to handle problems of old persons in the 21st century by adopting three major priorities: aged persons and development, promotion of health and welfare until the third age and the creation of favourable environments for the aged persons. The theme for this year aims at finding appropriate solutions to the problems of aged persons relating to some major aspects such as treatment for aged persons, reinforcing capacities of people who are taking care of aged persons, the fight against abandon, poor treatments and violence to the detriment of the aged persons and improvement of the image of aged persons. By Elizabeth Mosima Copyright © 2006 Cameroon Tribune.