Tanzania among worst places for senior citizens

[RUCCI]

Life expectancy may be rising globally but Tanzania is one of the countries that have yet to find better ways to take care of the rising number of senior citizens in the world, The Citizen on Saturday has established.

This is captured in a new report that ranks Tanzania among the five worst places in the world to live for aged citizens. In its Global AgeWatch Index 2014, HelpAge International ranks 96 countries on the quality of life and social and economic status of people aged 60 and more.

"The universality of income, health, capability and enabling environment cuts across the global community irrespective of social and economic differences," says the head of HelpAge here, Ms Amleset Tewodros. "Older people in Tanzania consistently raise good health, decent income, protection and participation as their priority needs and the index reflects this."

In the latest rankings, released on this year's International Day of Older Persons on Wednesday, Tanzania is five slots from the bottom. It is ranked 92nd on the ladder that measures the wellbeing of older people in four key areas--income security, health, personal capability and an enabling environment.

Currently there are 2.5 million people aged over 60 in Tanzania. Globally, 868 million people are over 60--nearly 12 per cent of the global population. By 2050, the number is expected to rise to 21 per cent or 2.02 billion.

"With life expectancy rising, more medium and low income countries are introducing pension schemes, yet many countries still lack effective plans to deal with an increasing number of senior citizens," HelpAge CEO Toby Porter noted in a statement.

Only three EAC bloc members are covered in the report, along with eight other African countries. Rwanda is the best performer in East Africa at Number 86. Uganda comes next at position 89 and Mauritius is tops in Africa at 38.

Globally, Norway tops the index this year, making it the best country to grow old in. It is closely followed by Sweden, Switzerland, Canada and Germany. The worst place for an older person is Afghanistan (96). Just above it comes Mozambique (95), the West Bank and Gaza (94) and Malawi (93).

Tanzania's poor rating is put down to a wanting enabling environment and income insecurity. It ranks low in the enabling environment domain, where it is ranked 88th globally and below regional average on three out of four indicators--safety (51 per cent), civic freedom (57 per cent) and satisfaction with public transport (37 per cent).

Ms Tewodros adds: "It ranks lowest in the income security domain (94), with the lowest pension coverage rate in the region (3.2 per cent) and an above average old age poverty rate (16.7 per cent)."

As part of the Age Demands Action Campaign, HelpAge's affiliate PADI is working with older people's associations to advocate a universal pension in the country.

Tanzania's highest ranking in this year's report is in the health domain (69), with above regional averages on all indicators. Its capability domain rank is low (86), with the rate of educational attainment among older people (3.1 per cent) at 10 percentage points below the regional average.

Its employment rate is well above the regional average at 92.6 per cent.
The report focuses on pension policy and how this is managed across the globe. Only half the world's population can expect to receive even a basic pension in old age and, although policies supporting people in later life exist, they need to be implemented faster and more systematically.

In Tanzania, only three per cent of the population (largely government workers), receive a pension. The country ranks lowest in the income security domain due to the very low proportion of people aged 65 and above who receive a pension.

There are no social pensions in the country, which are non-contributory cash transfers to older people provided by the government.

Since the ministry of Labour, Youth and Employment conducted a study on the viability and affordability of universal pensions for all older people in 2010, several government officials have publicly expressed a commitment to establish a pension for older people.

Source:The Citizen

http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/News/Ta...40392/2474886/-/item/1/-/eh0pj0z/-/index.html