UGANDA: Government To Give Cash To Elderly Persons

MBARARA, Uganda (Daily Monitor), October 3, 2007: THE government of Uganda will, in three years time, introduce a social cash grant scheme for the elderly, the Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Ms Syda Bbumba has said. She was officiating at the national celebrations to mark the International Day of Elderly Persons at Kakyeka Stadium in Mbarara District Monday. Ms Bbumba said the scheme would help the vulnerable elderly people get food, Medicare and buy scholastic materials for their dependants. "The social cash grant and will target those elderly persons living in chronic poverty and those taking care of orphans," she said. Ms Bbumba said only persons above 80 years would benefit first while the rest would be drafted into the scheme when the government gets more money. She said an organisation in the UK that she didn't name had donated 4 million pounds toward the scheme. Ms Bbumba said Uganda has 1.2 million elderly persons and of these 43 per cent are female. The internationally acceptable minimum age at which one can be called elderly is 60. In his speech read by the 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Affairs, Mr Eriya Kategaya, President Museveni said people should maintain a healthy lifestyle to avoid diabetes and hypertension, which are common diseases among fairly older persons. By Alfred Tumushabe & Felix Basiime © 2007 The Monitor Publications Ltd.