NGO Asks for Government Assistance to Elderly HIV/Aids Caretakers

By Nasser Kigwangallah, The Guardian

August 30, 2008

Tanzania

The government has been urged to allocate some funds to support elderly caretakers for the vital service they offer to orphans whose parents have died of HIV/Aids. 

HelpAge International regional advocacy manager at the Africa Regional Development Centre Dr. Douglas Lackey made the call at a one-day HIV/Aids Data Desegregation by Age and Gender Consultative meeting in Dar es Salaam on Thursday. 

He said elderly caregivers had the right to receive support from the government for the vital service they offer to orphans whose parents have died of HIV/Aids. 

``In order to achieve universal access to HIV/Aids prevention, care, support, and treatment data was absolutely necessary for all age groups in order to determine if the country was making a breakthrough in fighting the pandemic,`` he said. 

He said it was also a fundamental human right for individuals of all ages to know their HIV status and, as a critical prevention strategy, to have access to care, treatment and support when it is required. 

He said the National Multi-Sectoral Framework (NMSF) on HIV/Aids 2008 - 2010 should recognise caregivers\' role of older people, particularly women. 

He criticised the Tanzania UNGASS 2008 Country Progress Report for not having any reference to the impact of HIV/Aids on elderly people, home-based care and support, VCT data not disaggregated by age and unclear data on adults aged 50 and above. 

Dr. Lackey said in most cases older people were poor, hence their income was too low to enable them maintain their own families as well as their grandchildren. 

``They are very challenged to maintain their health and that of those under their care, therefore are vulnerable to the HIV/Aids,`` he said. 

He said according to a UNICEF research, it was found that grandparents, particularly grandmothers, cared for around 40 per cent of all orphans in Tanzania. 

However, he said no data was available on a national scale regarding the gender and age of individuals who were caring for orphans and the challenges they faced. 

Presenting a paper on `Improving data collection and information on households affected by HIV/Aids,` HelpAge International Tanzania HIV/Aids programme manager Mathew Kawogo said in sub-Saharan Africa, about 13 million children had lost one or both parents due to the HIV/Aids pandemic. 

``This makes up to 60 per cent of orphaned children to live in grandparent-headed households,`` he said, adding: "Many grandparents care for several grandchildren. Women are more likely than men to be the main caregivers.`` 

He said according to a recent research findings in five regions of Tanzania, HIV/Aids prevention and awareness campaigns almost exclusively targeted younger people and adolescents, despite the fact that older people were still sexually active. 

Kawogo further said that the risk of infection and spread of HIV among older age groups largely went undetected and unreported. 

``Literacy levels among older people are low, hence limiting their access to whatever written information is available,`` he remarked. 

Jonniah Williams, UNAIDS programme associate, said her organisation was working closely with the government and other stakeholders to ensure data was available for necessary implementation. 

She said soon they would organise a meeting to discuss the issue and urged NGOs to place hard for the availability of data on HIV/Aids and its impact on older people in the country. 

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