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.
States and business leaders must step up efforts to ensure that the selfless doctors, nurses, first-responders and other medical professionals working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic receive adequate protective equipment, a UN rights expert said on Friday.
Older people are increasingly subject to financial abuse, in many cases by their own family members, a United Nations human rights expert warned on Thursday.
Countries must ensure that older persons are able to fully participate in society and have their voices heard, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed today, noting they play a key part in the shaping of the post-2015 development agenda.
Highlighting the growing problem of elder abuse, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for better strategies and stronger laws to protect the rights and dignity of older persons worldwide.
