Bridgetown, Barbados 30 October 2020. The Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, with technical cooperation from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean countries, hosted a Consultation entitled “A Conversation on Ageing and Elder Affairs: Forming the Narrative”, as part of the process of developing a new National Policy, Strategic and Action Plans on Ageing and the Elderly in Barbados.
This one-day consultation facilitated via Zoom brought together participants from various sectors that focus on elderly care and services. Objectives of the consultation were to:
- Review the current policy with the aim of developing a new framework for ageing and the elderly in Barbados.
- Inform participants of the achievements obtained so far in Barbados regarding the wellbeing and the challenges of the Elderly Population.
- Allow participants to share their experiences and recommendations regarding the provision of services to the elderly; and
- Foster buy-in and engage the stakeholders in the process of developing and implementing the new National Policy, Strategic and Action Plans on Ageing and the Elderly in Barbados
Dr Yitades Gebre, PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries, delivered remarks at the consultation. Dr Gebre said “this initiative is important now more than ever, as the current COVID 19 pandemics is affecting older adults harder than other age groups. Older adults are more likely to already have underlying conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or respiratory illness comorbidities that we now know raise the risk of severe COVID-19 and COVID-19-related death.”
Dr Gebre reported that the impact on older adults is notable. He said that according to World Health Organization (WHO) data from April 2020, more than 95% of COVID-19 deaths were among people over 60 years of age, and more than half of all deaths occurred in people of 80 years-plus.
“This event is also being organized in a very strategic moment as we enter the Decade of Healthy Ageing 2020-2030; endorsed by the 73rd World Health Assembly on 3 August 2020,” said Dr Gebre. He informed that the Decade of Healthy Ageing (2020-2030) is an opportunity to bring together governments, civil society, international agencies, professionals, academia, the media, and the private sector for ten years of concerted, catalytic and collaborative action to improve the lives of older people, their families, and the communities in which they live. He also made a call for Barbados to endorse the Inter-American Convention on Protecting the Human Rights of Older Persons and to apply for membership to The WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities.
The Honourable Cynthia Forde, Minister People Empowerment and Elder Affairs welcomed participants to the conversation on ageing and elder affairs thanking them for recognizing its importance. Minister Forde acknowledged the technical support received by PAHO. “Age is honour and this should be a satisfying time of life having survived the whims and fancies of middle age,” said Minister Forde. She noted that unfortunately this is not the case for many in this demographic who grapple with poor health, loneliness, and anxiety, which has been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which introduced protocols of social distancing, restricted social activities, minimal human contact and increased use of technology.
Minister Forde said the pandemic has forced the review of the delivery of social services to the elderly in Barbados to fast tracked, in order to support and protect the elderly population.
Older persons are a national resource, pillars of the society who should be valued and supported to live full and active lives as respected members of their families and communities.
Following the formal opening session, participants were divided into a series of breakout rooms to discuss specific themes, associated challenges, and potential solutions.
PAHO recently supported an assessment of the “Responsiveness of the Health System in Barbados to the needs of the Aging Population” it revealed that Barbados is at an advanced phase of the demographic transition with contraction of the population groups younger than 60, and a fast-growing group of the adults 80+. Between 2010 and 2050, the age group is projected to grow at a faster rate as the population over 80 (increase 176%), followed by the group of 60-79 (increase 59%). The country exceeded an Ageing Index of 100 older adults (OA) per 100 children under 15 in 2015. Comparatively, the Non-Latin Caribbean sub-region will cross that threshold in 2032 and the region of the Americas in 2030.
