Despite commendable progress on legal and policy safeguards for older persons, a UN-appointed independent human rights expert said on Friday that Nigeria must implement already adopted measures to protect them against ageism and age discrimination, both of which are still prevalent.
Every year, one in six people aged 60 years and older experience some form of abuse – a trend that is expected to continue with rapid population ageing in many countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.
The basic rights of older persons need to be protected today, more than ever before, said the UN human rights chief on Monday, but existing legal safeguards render them, in effect, “invisible”.
Elderly people often have to give up cycling, due to a fear of injury, but Cycling Without Age, a movement which began in Denmark, is allowing them to regain mobility, and the pleasures of cycling, in safety.
The COVID-19 pandemic is worsening the already difficult situation of older refugees across Latin America, according to a joint assessment published on Wednesday by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and the NGO HelpAge International.
Drug use among older people globally has risen in recent years and countries must act to address this “hidden epidemic”, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) said in its annual report, issued on Thursday.
Negative stereotypes, prejudice and perceptions towards people based on their age, not only leads to poorer health and social isolation, it is also costing economies billions of dollars, UN agencies said on Thursday, calling for urgent action to combat ageism.
The COVID-19 fatality rate for people over 80-years-old, is five times the global average, the UN Secretary-General said on Friday, launching a new policy initiative to address this and many other challenges faced by the elderly, during and after the biggest public health crisis to hit the world in a century.
António Guterres (United Nations Secretary-General) on the Launch of the Policy Brief on Older Persons
The COVID-19 pandemic is causing untold fear and suffering for older people across the world.
The fatality rate for older people is higher overall, and for those over 80, it is five times the global average.
Beyond its immediate health impact, the pandemic is putting older people at greater risk of poverty, discrimination and isolation. It is likely to have a particularly devastating impact on older people in developing countries.