Pakistan

Working with our Affiliate, Pakistan Medico International and eight local partners, we help older people to secure livelihoods, gain access to entitlements and healthcare and stand up for their rights. 

We help older people cope when natural disasters occur and provide emergency assistance to older people in emergencies.

Life story: Khatoon, 64

Khatoon was able to buy a sewing machine with a loan from HelpAge. (c) HelpAge International 64-year-old Khatoon has bought up her two daughters single-handedly since being widowed ten years ago.

She has been stitching dresses for people to earn a living for her family. She said: 

“Each day I stitch one dress on my old sewing machine and earn 100 rupees (just over GBP£1). But that was hard to live on when I look after a family.

"But thanks to the loan from HelpAge, I have bought a new sewing machine that runs on electricity.

"Now, I can stitch two dresses a day and my income has doubled. It might be a small thing for others, but for me it’s a big help.

"I am very hopeful that once I get more used to the new sewing machine, I’ll be able to stitch four dresses every day and will be able to bring prosperity to my family!”

Supporting older people in Pakistan

Over the last year we have supported older people in Pakistan in several areas:

• 5,675 older people benefitted from our livelihood interventions, 40% being older women.
  
• We reached over 42,000 older men and women through our health work.
  
• 142,000 older people and their families have directly benefited from our humanitarian response projects.
  
• 7,300 older people benefitted from our work on disaster risk reduction.
  
• 233 media personnel and 425 students across the country were given training to advocate for the rights of older people.

What next?

• We will continue to implement primary healthcare services for older people during emergencies and advocate for mainstreaming geriatric health in healthcare services.
  
• We will work in partnership with WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF and like-minded NGOs to mainstream older people’s health issues in programmes, especially focusing on health promotion and non-communicable diseases.
  
• We will provide small business loans and cash grants.
  
• We will continue our efforts and work with the government and other stakeholders for the approval of a Senior Citizen’s Bill in Parliament.

Our affiliates

Pakistan Medico International

Our partners

Medical Emergency Relief International (Merlin), Sind Rural Support Organisation, Jaag Welfare Movement, Punjab Rural Development Project, KPK Global Prosperity Network, AJK Pakistan National Centre on Ageing, HANDS, Goth Singhaar Foundation, Ageing and Disability Task Force and 127 older people's associations across the country.

Our donors

Age UK, DEC, European Commission Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), World Health Organization, UNFPA, Concern Worldwide/OFDA/RAPID