SRI LANKA
Statement
by
H.E. Mr. Chandra Wickramasinghe
Address by the Head of Delegation
at the
Second World Assembly on Ageing
Madrid, Spain
11th April 2002
Introduction
Sri Lanka which has a
population of 19 million is a predominantly agricultural country with an
agricultural sector accounting for about 20% of the Country's gross
domestic product. More than half of the Island's labour force is
directly or indirectly engaged in agriculture and allied pursuits.
Basically about 72% of the countrys population lives in rural areas and
depend on domestic agriculture or agriculture based small domestic
industries. The commercial plantation Industry is a significant part of
the agricultural economy, which consists of three main crops, Tea,
Rubber and Coconut.
Demographic
Transformation and Population Ageing.
The growth rate of Sri
Lanka's population had increased rapidly in the second half of the 20th
Century. Development of health services and preventive health care
activities directly impacted to reduce the mortality rate and increase
life expectancy. As a result of a concerted Family Planning programme,
successfully implemented over the second half of the 20th Century, the
fertility rate of the population has declined steeply. These twin
declines in Mortality and Fertility have contributed to increase
exponentially the proportion of elderly people. As in many countries
where these trends have been observed, we see an inversion of the
demographic pyramid with an increasing preponderance of the elderly.
It has been estimated
that the percentage of persons over 60 years will increase rapidly from
the current 10% to 20% by the year 2025. Old age dependency will
increase from current 5% to 24% by 2015 and to 32% by 2025. This
situation is bound to have lave an effect on the overall economic and
social development activities of the country consequent on the resultant
budgetary burdens.
Among the ageing
population in Sri Lanka, women will constitute the majority as life
expectancy for them is higher than that for men. Life expectancy for
males at present is around 70 years and for females it is around 75
years. This is projected to increase further to 75 years for males and
80 years for females by the year 2025. While elderly population
increases rapidly in this manner, the growth of the labour foce will
show a decline. In this context, countries like Sri Lanka will have to
focus atention mainly on two issues. One, the provision of adequate
welfare and safety to elderly individuals and the other the absorption
of the adverse impact of the ageing population with all its attendant
implications on overall development at national level. These problems
have to be resolved within the existing social and cultural framework
and the pressing financial constraints faced by countries like Sri
Lanka.
The majority of the
elderly people in Sri Lanka live in rural villages. Although village
life has its hardships it is not as complex as urban life. Elders in
villages live in extended family settings with their kith and kin
assisting in income earning activities that are mutually supportive. But
in urban families most of the elderly people have to live alone and face
loneliness and other accompanying problems stemming from insufficient
family incomes coupled with a high cost of living. Internanal and
International migration of young people, the 'Care Givers', seeking
greener pastures aggravates the loneliness and emotional stress of older
persons. The ethnic crisis in the country has also created feelings of
insecurity and uncertainty in the minds of rider people. Some families
have been displaced due to the ethnic conflict and others have migrated
either to safer areas or to other countries leaving the older family
members alone at home or in a refugee camp without love, care or
support.
The historical,
religious and cultural background of Sri Lanka would require that older
people should be cared for at home by family members, relatives or
neighbours. Elders are considered custodians and transmitters of our
cultural heritage. In a our society older people are respected as
valuable resources with skills, experieence and wisdom. However, as a
result of the rapid socio economic changes in modern society accompanied
by uneven demographic transformations, the elderly population is
compelled to contend with issues that are unfamiliar as well as
personally distreming. Steps taken for the Welfare of Elders.
Sri Lanka had addressed
itself to issues of increasing elderly population as early as the 1940s
when the Government appointed the Social Service Commission (1944) with
Sir Ivor Jennings as the Chairman to look into the problem of destitute
elders. The Commission had pointed out that nearly 37% of relief
assistance recipients were older persons. This had encouraged religious
bodies and charitable organisations to open and run homes for the
elderly. Cultural and religious obligations too demanded appropriate
arrangements for the care and protection of elders.
Sri Lanka had
participated in the 1st World Assembly on Ageing held in Vienna Austria
in 1982. Following the guidance of The Vienna International Plan of
Action on Ageing and The UN Principles on Ageing, Sri Lanka introduced a
number of far reaching measures for the welfare of elderly people.
National Committee on
Ageing.
The National Committee
on Ageing which functions under the Ministry of Social Welfare is the
apex body established to assist the Ministry of Social Welfare in policy
making and the formulation of national plans and programmes for the
welfare of elderly people. It consists of officials of the Ministry of
Social Welfare and the Department of Social Services, experts in the
field of ageing and representatives of relevant Government
Organizations, Non Governmental Organizations and Voluntary
Organizations. The National Committee on Ageing co-ordinates the public
and Non Government Sector activities for elders. The Committee has
played a significant role for 20 years in association with the agencies
of ESCAP, UNDP, and Helpage Sri Lanka.
National Policy on
Ageing.
The objective of the
National Policy is to give leadership and policy initiatives to create a
healthy environment for older persons and is focussed primarily on:
a. The preparation of
the population for a productive and fulfilling life in freir old age,
socially, economically, physically and spiritually and.
b. Ensuring
independence, participation, care, self-fulfilment and dignity for the
elderly.
NGO Participation.
International and Local
Non Government Organizations have played a vital role in providing
assistance for the care and wellbeing of elderly people. The Non
Governmental Sector in Sri Lanka especially influenced by International
conventions has established voluntary organizations for older person and
undertaken innovative programmes to provide care and welfare for a
rapidly increasing aged population. Organizations like UN - ESCAP and
Helpage International have contributed much to assist in co-ordinating
activities to improve the quality of life of older persons.
Legislation for the
Elderly
Among the number of far
reaching measures introduced for the welfare of elderly people, the
enactment of legislation viz. the Act No. 9 of 2000 for the Protection
of Rights of the Elders is indeed a significant achievement.
Some of the Salient
features of the Act are as follows:
1. Establishment of the
National Council for Elders.
2. Protection of the
rights of elders.
3. Registration of
persons and organizations providing services to elders.
4. Establishment of a
National Fund for the Welfare of Elders.
5. Appointment of Boards
to inquire into complaints of elders and determine claims for their
maintenance and other miscellaneous matters relating to their problems.
There is provision in
the Act for older persons to take legal action if their rights
are not secured. The
Department of Social Services has already taken action to
implement most of the
provisions of the Act. Some of the older persons have
responded positively,
and are volunteering to participate actively in
implementing the
functions. They are happy with the decision of the
Government to enact an
Act and a Plan of Action for their welfare. The
publication named
`Elders' is popular among older persons as it provides
information useful to
them. All this has created an increasing awareness of the issues of
older person. Further, the across the board position of free education
and free medical service by the state affords subtantial relief to
families looking after their elderly parents and grand parents.
Identity Cards for
Elderly People.
The Department of Social
Service has introduced a system of issuing special identity cards for
persons over 65 years, under the guidance of the Ministry of Social
Welfare The special identity card issued to persons over 65 years is
very popular among them as they receive priority in obtaining services
from busy Governmente Departments, Hospitals, Banks etc. Further they
consider it a recognition of their special status in the community.
Income Security
Older persons should
have at least minimum income security to enable then to live with
dignity. The Public Service Pension Scheme and the Employees Providen
Fund are two major schemes providing social security for Government and
Corporation Sector employees. Additionally, there are other contributory
schemes estabisned by the Government and private sector organizations,
like Banks, which are in operation The Ministry of Social Welfare has
also introduced in 1996 a Social Security and Pension Scheme, for people
employed in the informal sector. This scheme provides a pension for poor
elderly people who have contributed towards the development of the
country.
Day Care Centres and
Home Nursing Service.
Opening of Day Care
Centres for elderly people has been implemented by the Government, Non
Governmental and Voluntary Organizations. The Ministry of Social Welfare
has taken steps to establish day care centres both in urban and rural
areas treating them as a necessary facility to look after elders when
their family members are out of their homes.
Introduction of home
nursing services is immensely useful to look after sicky elders living
without the help of family members. A scheme for training home nurses
has been started with this in view by the Ministry of Social Welfare
with the assistance of Helpage Sri Lanka. Helpage Sri Lanka is also
conducting on their own, a preparate programme to train home nurses.
In addition to the
measures outlined above, the Ministry of Social Welfare and the
Department of Social Services have also taken steps to conduct training
and awareness programmes, Health Camps, Job placement services,
distribution of spectacles and other assistive devices to disabled
elders with the assistance of voluntary organizations.
Constraints in the
development of institutionalised services to the Elderly
Sri Lanka provides
varied services and facilities to elders through Government
Institutions, Provincial Councils, Local Government Institutions and
NGOO, despite severe resource constraints, common to most developing
countries. The absence of properly documented information on ageing and
related matters, has posed a major problem to planners and policy makers
in the formulation of effective policy programmes.
The task of providing
food, shelter, clothing and health care for older persons is an
important social issue faced by modern societies. The Sri Lanka
Government is fully cognizant of its obligations in this regard and is
doing its utmost towards meeting them, within the existing resource
constraints, with the assistance of NGOO and multi-lateral Agencies.
Although the problem of the elderly was not a major issue in traditional
societies with their extended family systems, with rapid economic and
social development however, modern society sees the traditional systems
fast breaking down. Hence, the introduction of institutionalised social
security systems are essential especially for the very old. Ideally, it
should be a participatory one with a public-family mix. Severe mental
depression among the elderly in particular, often stems from loneliness
and neglect. Even where sophisticated welfare systems are in place, as
in the more affluent countries, the absence of a human and emotive
element would still lead to withdrawal and depression on the part of the
elderly. In Sri Lanka, such a public-family complementarity is likely to
meet with greater success in view of the strong religious and social
mores which cast compelling moral obligations on the younger generations
to treat the elderly with due care, respect and dignity.
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