In Africa, the older population is increasing in line with global trends. The number of people over 60 in sub-Saharan Africa is currently estimated to be over 35 million.

Older people in Africa continue to face many challenges. There have been increasing reports of older people being neglected and abused. Poverty remains a fundamental problem and older people have also been hard hit by the effects of HIV/AIDS and emergencies.

There are not enough policies on ageing across the continent, which means that measures to support older people as they face these challenges have still to be put in place.

Documentation on these issues and the collation of information is slowly increasing, but there is still an urgent need for comprehensive data on ageing and issues affecting older people in Africa.

New responsibilities and pressures

Older women and men are increasingly being forced into the role of primary carers for their HIV-positive adult children and their orphaned grandchildren.

They are obliged to take on more – sometimes unfamiliar – roles in their families and they face new financial challenges as economic systems change.

The way forward

HelpAge International's work in Africa has awakened interest in ageing. This is highlighted by the launch of the African Union Policy Framework and Plan of Action on Ageing in December 2003.

The framework is the result of collaborative work over many years between the African Union (formerly the Organisation of African Unity) and HelpAge International.

A number of countries are now developing their national policies on ageing, based on the African framework.

Our projects in Africa aim to:

• advocate for older Africans’ rights to access basic services (including water and shelter), a non-contributory basic pension and free health care
• reduce the effects of poverty and HIV/AIDS among older people and the orphans in their care
• improve the quality of care for people living with HIV/AIDS and orphans being cared for by older people
• improve livelihoods through various income-generating and capacity-building activities
• improve older people’s access to justice, and raise awareness about the violations of their rights
• promote older people’s needs and rights in emergencies such as the Sudan crisis and their potential to contribute to relief efforts in emergencies.