Africa
THE National Senior Citizen Centre (NSCC) says its working with WHO, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) to provide integrated health care to older persons across the country.
The Director-General, NSCC, Dr Emem Omokaro, said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the collaboration involved training of community health extension workers.
Omokaro spoke at the sideline of the debriefing meeting by Dr Claudia Mahler, UN Independent Expert on the Enjoyment of all Human Rights of Older Persons in Abuja.
“We are able to form cluster relationships because aging is inter-sectoral and multi-sectoral.
“So we are working on social security and protection with government Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
“We have mainstream older persons into the Grants for Vulnerable Groups, we now have stakeholders engagement which has traditional fathers, faith based-organisations and experts.
“We have signed an agreement with NPHCDA, the Secretariat of NGF and WHO. We are working together to ensure that integrated primary health care is taken to the older persons.
“And by extension to the community through training for community extension workers,” Omokaro said.
On Mahler’s visit, she said it was to strengthen efforts in the protection of human rights of older persons in the country.
She explained that the UN expert would make recommendations on gaps for proper care of older persons, so as to boost Nigeria’s global age watch index.
“We have an excellent policy framework. In fact, we are on top in the area of engagement mechanism,” she said.
The official thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of HumanitarianAffairs, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, for their support.
Omakaro said Mahlers interacted virtually with stakeholders in Benue, Lagos, Oyo and others across the country, and was appraised of government’s extensive commitment to build capacity in terms of human resources and structure.
Similarly, Ms Moradeke Adelakan, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Nigerian Government has done a lot regarding issues of older persons.
“I am very happy to report to my superiors and we will take all the information we have at the various UN engagements to tell the Nigerian story.
“We appreciate our older persons and we are willing to learn and support, we would also like to emulate the good effort both at the government and primary level,” Adelakan said. (NAN)
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Tags: Dr Claudia Mahler Emem Omokaro Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq Moradeke Adelakan NPHCDA NSCC WHO
