Kenya faces growing ageing challenge as older population set to hit 6.4 million by 2045

Jukwaa

📻 Breaking It Down

The projected increase is expected to put new demands on healthcare, family caregiving, social protection and the wider economy, requiring Kenya to expand services specifically designed for older people rather than treating ageing as a future social welfare issue.

Dr Lydia Atambo, a physician specialising in geriatric medicine, said the projected growth was not merely a demographic change but one that would have implications across the economy and public services.

“This is just not simply a demographic statistic. It has major implications not just for the healthcare system but for the economy and most importantly for the wider economy,” Atambo, who is also Co-founder of ACEHOP and IDOP Conference Chair, said.

📌 What You Need to Know

She called for geriatric services to be integrated into primary healthcare and community health systems, alongside systematic home-based care, rehabilitation, palliative care and long-term care.

“Geriatric care, which is the care of older persons, cannot remain a specialist service that is only found in cities and major towns. It has to be devolved,” she said.

Atambo also warned that changing family structures would make traditional forms of unpaid care increasingly difficult to sustain.

Children are increasingly living away from their parents, families are becoming smaller and more women are participating in the workforce, she said, raising the question of who will provide care for older people.

She called for Kenya to develop a stronger care economy that professionalises caregiving, supports family caregivers and expands home and community-based services.

“Care is not simply a social responsibility. It can also be looked at as an economic sector that can create jobs and enable families to remain economically productive,” Atambo said.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya

0 0