Rural Aging: World
Archives 1998 to
2002
Canada:
Depression and Rural Aging (November 2001)
(Article in French)
Consider the most frequent mental health disorder affecting older persons:
Depression. In a society where both ageing and depression are taboo,
treating it can be very difficult. Another big obstacle is the widespread
idea that depression is a part of aging. Older persons suffering from
depression usually feel that they don’t dare tell their relatives.
Because psychiatrists and psychologists are in cities, the depressed
elderly need their relatives others to help them get treatment. Depression
for older people who live in rural area brings with it many forms of
discrimination.
Recovery
in Mozambique - listening to older people (November 5, 2002)
Older people in Mozambique have struggled to recover from the devastating
floods of 2000. Necodemus Chipfupa of HelpAge International describes how
older people's organisations have mobilised support for vulnerable people
in the community.
Ukrainian
phenomenon of the old age (October 1, 2002) (in Ukrainian)
Ukrainian Institute of Gerontology says that Ukraine spends only 2.7% of
GDP for the health care for older people, whiles the WHO recommends this
number to be about 8%. Also almost no one senior man's health meets
standards set by the WHO. The scientists also mention wide spreading
mental illness among the older people, caused by many factors, such as
lost of social status, pessimism, absence of rehabilitation help and
others.
Shanghai
Implementation Strategy (September 23-26, 2002)
This paper deals with the Shanghai Implementation Strategy (regional
implementation strategy for the Madrid International Plan of Action on
Ageing 2002 and the Macao Plan of Action on Ageing for Asia and the
Pacific 1999). Asia and the Pacific is the most rapidly ageing region of
the world. A strategy on how to prepare society for the challenges of
ageing is essential in ensuring that the goals of active ageing are
achieved.
Responding
to southern Africa's crisis (August 28, 2002)
Older people are already among the poorest in Mozambique. Most receive no
pensions and failed harvests are pushing them into hunger and
malnutrition. This crisis is exacerbated by the effects of HIV/AIDS, which
is destroying the middle generation of breadwinners, reducing already poor
families to extreme poverty.
Istat
/ L'indagine 2002 sulla povera? (July 17, 2002)
21,1% of Italian families lives in poverty, according to ISTAT, the
National Statistics Institute. Most of poor families live in the south of
Italy. One of their characteristics is the fact of having one or more
seniors in charge.
United
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific Survey (June
2002)
An United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific
Survey has been conducted to review the current situation of older persons
in the Asian and Pacific region and analyses future directions for a
regional strategy for the implementation of international, regional and
national commitments on ageing.
A
generation in transition: Older people's situation and civil society's
response in East and Central Europe (May 2002)
This Help Age International booklet was published to accompany the UN
Second World Assembly on Ageing in Madrid in 2002. It draws on a series of
consultations with older people's groups within several countries in East
and Central Europe.
Third
World Network Paper On The WTO, The Post Doha Agenda And The Future Of The
Trade System (May 2002)
Martin Khor from the Third World Network reveals a serious bias in the
WTO's Doha trade round: developing countries tend to pay more adjustment
costs and receive fewer benefits than developed countries in trade
agreements. Khor also suggests an agenda for a new round of negotiations
that would cater to the needs of developing countries.
Ageing
and Development (October 2001)
This Help Age International publication is focused on different topics
which affected the life of the elderly in the Third World: HIV/AIDS in
Thailand and India, poverty in Ethiopia, sex abuse in Serbia and South
Africa.
Intergenerational
Accounting and Economic Consequences of Aging in Brazil
Population aging is a new phenomenon in Brazil. New projections
indicate that in the year 2050 the population aged 65 and over will
represent 15 % of the total compared to 3% in 1970. Despite these dramatic
changes the debate on the economic consequences of aging has just started
in Brazil. Here is an extract of a master's thesis written by a student at
the University of Pennsylvania.
Aging
in the Americas into the XXI Century
The growth rate of the older population in the Americas has been higher
that that of the total population for many decades. Population aging
usually has been associated with the more industrialized countries of
Europe and North America. But in less industrialized countries? Uruguay,
for example, currently has higher percentage of older population than does
Canada and United States.
Coping
with loss (October 18, 2002)
Elderly persons are likely to become depressed or develop physical
illnesses that require active medical or psychiatric intervention .The
article includes some tips for elderly persons to cope with loss.
Russia
will become a country of older people (October 17, 2002)
In May 2001 in Rostov oblast president's representative asked local
companies to provide address help to older people, especially to veterans
of the WWII, and their widows. By October 2002 more than 6,000 people
received some assistance. But it is not a decision of real problem:
according to scientists' forecast, the number of pensioners will be
greater then those who work in Russia by the year 2005. And now there are
more than 92,000 veterans living in the region, most of them below the
poverty line.
One
Third of the Crimean Population are Poor (October 17, 2002) (in Russian)
More then 150 thousand older people in Crimea are below the poverty
level, says Deputy Minister of the Social Protection of Crimea. To reduce
poverty, the Ministry plans to shift from the system of providing benefits to
the system of personalized help or subsidies. The complete transformation
is planned by the year 2011.
Slovakia's
population (October 3, 2002)
The population of Slovakia will drop in age according to a new study by
the Slovak Statistics Office (SSU). Last year, the death rate exceeded the
birth rate for the first time.
ADB
Says Asia Needs to Prepare For Impact of Falling Population (August 6,
2002)
Governments in Asia need to start planning for falling birth rates and
growing life expectancies. Economies must be more efficient because of a
shrinking work force and an increase in retirees. Countries may be forced
to extend the age of retirement in order to accommodate.
U.N.
Warns of Drought, Food Shortages in Ethiopia (August 2, 2002)
An estimated four million Ethiopians are in need of food assistance after
Mother Nature failed to bring rains earlier this year. In some
areas, local populations, including the elderly, are being forced to
migrate in search of food and water. Malnutrition among children, women
and the elderly has not set in yet, but is expected to come rapidly.
Changing
tides of time (July 28, 2002)
Older women in India, especially widows, are left to the mercy of the
public to eke out an existence over the years. But, by empowering them
with self-sustaining skills, they can be made effective in nation
building, says the War Widows Association.
Protesting
Women Continue Occupation Of Chevron Flow-Stations (July 22, 2002)
In this special update, Environmental Rights Action (ERA), the largest
environmental group in Nigeria, presents the voices of the protesting
women speaking from the occupied Abiteye Flow Station, in their own words.
Surviving
summer (May 20, 2002)
Summer is a cruel time particularly for the elderly. Here are some tips
from an Indian newspaper to ensure their health and comfort through the
scorching season.
Alone
at the end (May 12, 2002)
In India, one district, Kerala, has the largest number of old age homes
and possibly `home nurses'. But the welfare of the aged is still not
assured. NGO activists say the elderly often become victims of insult,
neglect and sometimes even physical assault at home. It is projected that
by the year 2025, one in every five persons will be a senior citizen.
Population
aging is unavoidable (March 15, 2002) (in Ukrainian)
Some statistics from the UN on global aging in Ukraine. So, by the year
2050 for each pensioner there will be only four working (now this ratio is
1:9 and back in 1950 it was 1:12). The fastest growing group now is those
who 'over 80'. The long life perspective is inspiring, but the
question is whether the country are ready for these changes.
Personal
stories from Malawi
In Malawi, a daily life story of an elderly woman: seventy-nine year
old Irene Lusiasi who had five children who all died of AIDS.
China's
elderly face solitary future (January 3, 2002)
A survey has found that more than half of China's elderly people would
rather live alone than with their children. The report suggests social
attitudes are changing along with economic development and modernization.
About
business women, long life and home fathers (January, 2002) (in Russian)
Some women are sure that there role is much harder comparing to men: they
give birth, care for children, home and family - and work at the same
level as men. Researches that looked at the relation between this factors
and life expectancy come to interesting conclusions: this 'old' life style
of woman helped her to live longer.
World's
Aging Population (November 2001)
An interesting and complete US Census Bureau 2001 report about
international aging population: pensions, health, urban and rural
dimensions...all around the World.
Lonely
Old Age Is Not A Pleasure (September 19, 2001) (in Russian)
The habit of visiting his former work place every day saved the life of
the 72 year old pensioner in Tumen, Russia. When he did not appear at the
office one day, two of his former colleagues decided to visit him. Since
nobody answered at the apartment's door, they called the rescuer service.
The rescuers found the old man lying on the floor in his apartment, but
still alive. They were able to provide medical treatment in time,
saving the pensioner's life.
A
parent's loss (March 11, 2001)
On one side is the spectre of a rapidly graying population, while on the
other side lifestyle diseases cause the death of the middle aged. How do
the elderly cope with the loss of a child? Two personal and moving stories
of two older persons who lost their children.
Expertos
Analizan la Economia Rural (March 6, 2001)(In Spanish)
According to la Prensa
Libre of Guatemala, representatives of the public and private sectors are
analyzing the economy in Guatemala's rural areas. They seek not only to
understand the obstacles that prevent development but also to improve the
economy in that area. Will their recommendations use the talents and
insights of the rural elderly who increasingly form larger percentages of
the population?
Aging in India: its Socio-economic and Health
Implications (2000)
The sharp decline in mortality since 1950 and a steady recent decline
in fertility has contributed to the process of population aging in India.
India currently ranks fourth among the countries of the world with a large
elderly population; by the year 2000, it is likely to be second only to
China.
The
Perspectives of the 'Third Age' (October 6, 2000) (in Russian)
Tatyana Gerasimova, sociologist from Saint Petersburg, shares her finding
from the study of current situation and life styles of pensioners in her
city, and in the territory of the former Soviet Union. Older women after
retirement prefer to rely on themselves rather then on help to government.
The second significant motivation for working (after material needs) is
the desire to provide financial help to children and grandchildren. They
come to marriage agencies in hopes to find a partner 30 times more
frequently than men do; their emotional state depends more on the
relations with grandchildren than with children; and they prefer to live
separately but not far away from their children.
Lottery
boost for China's elderly (August 25, 2000)
By the year 2030 China officials estimate that care for an estimated 300
million elderly will consume a full 10% of national income. China has
launched its first ever nationwide lottery on September 1st
2002, to raise revenue for the country's rapidly increasing elderly
population.
Are
Social Security Reforms Gender Neutral? Current Estimates of Standards of
Living and Future Prospects for Chilean Elderly Men and Women (September
6, 1999)
The Chilean reform gets low marks for the provision of insurance
and for administrative cost. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the
Chilean reform is the high cost of running a privatized social security
system, higher than the 'inefficient' system that it replaced. Valdes-Prieto
has estimated that the average administrative charge per effective
affiliate while active is U.S. $89.10 per year. The cost per person is not
far from costs observed in other privately managed pension systems, such
as defined- benefit private pensions in the U.S. However, it compares
unfavorably with administrative costs in well-run unified government
managed systems.
It
is not the end of the world (October 18, 1998)
The well-being of older persons is the goal of the Indian National Policy
for the Aged, which will be achieved by securing them their place in
society so that they live this phase of life with dignity and peace. India
has a population of seventy million aged above sixty, half of which is
female. In Dead Eye Dick, Kurt Vonnegut says "life is not over in the
novel ". He takes an entertaining satirical look at the death of
innocence and the randomness of life.
Aging
in Cuba: Realities and challenges (June 1998)
In 1998, older people constituted 13.6% of the Cuban population.
In spite of Cuba's economic crisis, social security services have been
maintained, and pensions paid, unlike the situation in many other Latin
American countries when faced with crisis.
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