Older people have a long history of engaging with the government in Bolivia, and HelpAge International has been supporting the development of older people’s networks and the Parliament of Older People since 1998.

Despite central government commitments to health entitlements for older people, these are not always available at a local level – so groups of older people have been finding out what happens to the money designated for their health care.

Activities

Older people in five urban and rural areas are monitoring three strands of the health-care scheme: the finances, administration and service delivery. They are recording the number of older people registered for health-care insurance, along with the health budget allocated by central government to local government, which should be around US$56 per person, per year. They monitor both the amounts and the timeliness of the allocation.

Achievements

Central government has increased funding to local government for health insurance, which has resulted in greater numbers of older people securing benefits.

The local government in the El Alto and Potosi districts has dedicated staff time to work with older people's groups and has given HelpAge International the authority to register older people for health insurance.

Older people's groups have developed strong skills in communication, monitoring and data analysis. They are influential in local policy development and have developed strategic alliances with the media, resulting in regular TV and radio coverage.

The future

The project, supported by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), has strengthened the democratic participation of older people in policies and decisions that affect them. It has proved that, with support, ordinary older people can successfully improve their quality of life and contribute to the accountability of local and national governments.

Elsa Baranado, 65, of the Sucre group, says, "I have learnt how to make inquiries, do interviews and, more than anything, I feel comfortable speaking on television and radio ... we are working for more than 17,000 older people in this city and I can’t forget my responsibilities."