What happened in 2008?

HelpAge International in Kyrgysztan organised two Age Demands Action events on 29 September this year with its affiliate, Resource Centre for the Elderly.

A delegation of seven older people met with the The Paliamentary Committee on Social Policy and Healthcare. MPs and other stakeholders, such as medical insurance representatives and the Deputy Mayor of Bishkek were also present.

The meeting took place in an older person's care home where the delegation raised the issues faced by older people during the severe winter months, when temperatures can drop to extremes of minus 20C.

The government was asked to make a commitment to:

• adopt the national Older Generation strategy and law on Older Citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic
• improve older people's quality of life by providing a reasonable pension, employment opportunities and better transport
• improve access to healthcare and affordable medicines
• take the specific needs of older carers into account,especially in light of increased migration (increase child benefits, set up kindergardens in rural areas)
  
• Support vulnerable older people so they can better prepare for winter (for example, by giving them cheaper coal and delivery assistance).

The second event, on 2 October, was a photo exhibition and evening reception with older people and members of key aid agencies from the UK, Germany, Switzerland and the USA. Representatives from the EU, UN and World Bank also attended.

The exhibition presented postive images of older people with the aim of raising awareness of the need to include older people in development policies. The photos are the work of Malik Alymkuloff.

Visit Malik's website to view the photos.

Highlights from 2007

Last year HelpAge International facilitated a roundtable discussion between older people and representatives from key government ministries. Older people were represented by leaders of self-help groups and other organisations.

The roundtable discussion was shown on national television and resulted in the following successes:

• A government decree was issued to develop and adopt the national "Older Generation" programme.
• A working group was established to develop and adopt a law on Older Citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic.