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ISSN 1997-1648 No. 6 August 2016
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INIA’s Training Programmes
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International training programme in Enabling Quality of Life in Long Term Care
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During the month of May INIA held an international training programme in ‘Enabling Quality of Life in Long Term Care’ which was attended by ten participants from different countries.
Dr. Marvin Formosa (Director — INIA) officially opened the programme leading to a successful two days of lectures and discussions, revolving round topics of Abuse; Social work; Dementia; Dignity as well as the National minimum standards for care homes for older persons. Participants were also honoured by the presence of the Hon. Dr. Justyne Caruana (Parliamentary Secretary for Rights of Persons with Disability and Active Ageing), who further highlighted the importance of training, as not only being viewed as an asset to the individual, but most importantly one which would be enacted at the place of work, while providing person centered care to respective residents.
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Group photo of participants together with the Hon. Dr Justyne Caruana, Junior Minister for Rights of Persons with Disability and Active Ageing, Dr. Marvin Formosa (Director, INIA), and Rosette Farrugia-Bonello (Research and Programme Manager, INIA) .
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In-Situ training programme in ageing policy formulation in Abuja, Nigeria. In collaboration with the Dave Omokaro Foundation, Nigeria.
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Dave Omokaro Foundation together with other experts on ageing
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| Human resource development in ageing is imperative for Nigeria, if the country is to address the mounting challenges of its rapidly increasing population of older persons, now estimated at 8.4 million with a growth rate of 3.3%. To this end, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for collaboration on personnel training in Nigeria in all aspects of Ageing was signed between the International Institute on Ageing, United Nations – Malta (INIA) and the Dave Omokaro Foundation (DOF), following which a five-day inaugural in-situ training program in Ageing Policy Formulation jointly organized by both parties was held in Chelsea Hotel, Abuja from 20 — 24 June, 2016. |
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The Opening Ceremony and Memorandum of Agreement Signing drew participants from all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), International Development Partners (IDPs) across the country, including high level government officials such as the Chairman, National Population Commission, Executive Secretary National Universities Commission, Special Adviser to the President on Planning/DG Budget Office, National Planning Commission and WHO Country Representative, Nigeria. The director of INIA, Dr. Marvin Formosa was represented by International Tutor and Expert on Ageing Professor Nana Araba Apt. There were also attendees from media organizations and academia.
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Dave Omokaro during a lecture delivery
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Goodwill messages were offered by the Federal Ministry of Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Federal Ministry of Labor and Employment, the National Health Insurance Scheme Office of the Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, WHO Nigeria, UNICEF Nigeria, Geriatrics Association of Nigeria, African Society for Ageing Research and Development and Coalition of Societies for the Rights of Older Persons.
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The International Training Programme drew participants, mostly policy makers from across the Ministries, Departments and local and international Agencies; there were 26 participants in all with one, from Zambia. Lectures and discussions centered round the Demography; National Policy for Ageing in Nigeria; the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing and the Sustainable Development Goals; Economic and National system of Old Age Security; Policy Planning; Common Diseases and Medical Conditions; Health and Wellbeing.
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In a vote of thanks, Dr. Emem Omokaro, thanked INIA, WHO, NUC, other MDAs and the Resource persons for their various efforts at ensuring the success of the workshop. She pledged that the Foundation would continue to leverage on the robust contributions and interventions of the MDAs, whiling recommending that members of the class should form the National Working Group that would develop the Policy Framework for Ageing in Nigeria. Stakeholders recommended that the Federal Government of Nigeria should articulate a National Policy Framework that would address the needs of older persons in a holistic manner to include the provision of social security insurance, housing development and town planning that are elderly persons – friendly by the year 2030. This was part of the resolutions reached at the end of the five – day in-situ Training and workshop on Ageing Policy Formulation, which ended on Friday 24 June, 2016. It was organized by the International Institute of Ageing United Nations Malta (INIA) in collaboration with the Dave Omokaro Foundation (DOF), at Chelsea Hotel, Abuja. Participants received certificates of attendance.
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Top: Shots during lecture
Below: Group photo with Dave Omokaro during the closing ceremony
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UPCOMING In-Situ training programmes
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Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau (BCAB) Visits Malta
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On the 13 May 2016, INIA welcomed a delegation from the Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau (BCAB), which also visited Casa Antonia Residential Home and RoseVille Care Home run under CareMalta. |
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Information Exchange & Networking
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On Friday 20 May 2016, INIA welcomed Professor Jacqueline Parkes from Northampton University, whose international expertise is in Dementia Studies.
As a lead in the Institute for Health & Wellbeing at Northampton, Professor Parkes is the Director of the Centre for Applied Mental Health Research, Chair of the Dementia Research Network, and lead for Public and Patient Involvement. Her subject specialisms are nursing and mental health research, with a particular focus on developing and implementing person-centred care pathways. |
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On Wednesday 22 June 2016, Dr. Marvin Formosa, Director INIA welcomed Moira Allan Co-founder and International Coordinator from ‘The Pass It On Network’ who discussed the work done in relation to the global programme exchange for positive ageing.
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Books donated to INIA on WEAAD
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On the 15 June 2016, in commemoration of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), CareMalta donated books to INIA’s Library in relation to this harsh reality.
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Women Deliver — From the 16-19 May 2016 the fourth Women Deliver conference was held in the Bella Centre Copenhagen. A first for HelpAge the conference was attended by Ferdous Ara Begum (INIA’s Council Member on the Satellite Centre for SAARC countries), with the support of the Fred Hollows Foundation.
Women Deliver conferences are world-renowned meetings focused on the health, rights, and wellbeing of girls and women. It is a high profile event attended by more than 5000 experts including politicians, ministers, academics, Heads of UN bodies and women and girls from all over the world. 200 scholarships are awarded to persons under 30 years of age, and 30 are available for those over 30.
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The year 2016 was the occasion to highlight women’s contributions from the perspective of the SDGs and its implementation strategy. In fact The Women Deliver 2016 Conference was one of the first major global conferences following the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This was highlighted by Gro Harlem Bruntland, former Prime Minister of Norway and former Director General of WHO in the opening ceremony, attended by Ferdous.
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Having no mention of the strength and role of older women as Change Makers in the nation building process, this was highlighted by the partnering of The Fred Hollows Foundation, the Burnet Institute and Helpage International in their delivery of a side event called ‘Older Women Deliver too, a life course approach to women and children’s health’.
Read the full text here:
https://www.inia.org.mt/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Women-Deliver-INIAnet-Aug-2016.pdf
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Ferdous Ara Begum, during the panel discussion
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South Asia Senior Citizens’ Forum
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A regional body called South Asia Senior Citizens’ Forum (SASCF) has been established on 12 July, 2016, in Kathmandu, Nepal, at the concluding session of a two day workshop on the issues of Senior Citizens in South Asia. Representatives from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and other SAARC countries were present at the workshop. The SASCF has been established on the basis of the 36 point Kathmandu Declaration signed at the 18th SAARC Summit meeting in 2014, focusing towards the ‘Special Needs of Elderly Population’ of the region. The Forum also reaffirms commitments to the Older Peoples Rights enshrined in the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing, the United Nations Principles for Older Persons, the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002; General Recommendation no 27 of the CEDAW Convention on the protection of the Human Rights of Older Women (adopted in 2010) and Sustainable Development Goals aiming at leaving no one behind, in order to create a social inclusive society for all by 2030.
Read the full text here: https://www.inia.org.mt/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/FerdousAra-Begum-Newsletter-Aug-2016.pdf |
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World’s centenarian population projected to grow eightfold by 2050
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The world was home to nearly half a million centenarians (people ages 100 and older) in 2015, more than four times as many as in 1990, according to United Nations estimates.
This growth is expected to accelerate: Projections suggest there will be 3.7 million centenarians across the globe in 2050. While centenarians make up a small share of the world’s older population, their proportion is growing. In 1990 there were 2.9 centenarians for every 10,000 adults ages 65 and older around the world. That share grew to 7.4 by 2015 and is projected to rise to 23.6 by 2050.
Estimates of the centenarian population can be hard to come by due to misreporting and data processing issues. It is often difficult to verify the ages reported, as centenarians might not have birth records to confirm their age. But the available data suggests that the U.S. leads the world in terms of the sheer number of centenarians, followed by Japan, China, India and Italy.
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Japan’s Misao Okawa was the world’s oldest person before her death in April 2016. Photograph: Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images
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Human Rights for People with Dementia
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During the month of May, Dementia Alliance International launched its first official publication , ‘Rhetoric to Reality; the human rights of people with dementia‘ .
Access to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN-CRPD) was one of the demands made by DAI’s Chair, Kate Swaffer at the World Health Organisation’s First Ministerial Conference on Dementia held in Geneva in March 2015 and is a joint focus of DAI and Alzheimer’s Disease International following discussions in April 2016. «What matters to us now is that people living with dementia should be empowered to use their undisputed right of access to this and to other relevant UN Human Rights Conventions, including a future Convention on the Rights of Older Persons.»
— Professor Peter Mittler
Publication can be downloaded by following the new Human Rights page on the DAI website. |
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September is World Alzheimers Month!
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September 2016 will mark the fifth global World Alzheimer’s Month, an international campaign to raise awareness and challenge stigma.
The theme for World Alzheimer’s Month 2016 is Remember Me. Alzheimer’s Disease International are asking you to get involved by sharing your favourite memories, or memories of a loved one, on social media this September with the hashtags #RememberMe #WAM2016.
More ideas of what organisations can do to commemorate this month may access:
http://www.alz.co.uk/world-alzheimers-month |
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Gunaratne, B. Jayasundera — Sri Lanka
United Friendship Community
Economic Aspects and Income Security, 2003
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A programme was organised by United Friendship Community (NGO) in Kurunegala at «RATHANAPIYASA» Retirement Village ( Senior Citizens Resort) together with members of Senior Citizens Committee at Bamunakotuwa Assitant Government Agent Division. «It was an amazing cheerful and most enjoyable event, enjoyed by residential older persons as well other others from the neighboring areas», states Gunaratne, B. Jayasundera, founder of United Friendship Community, «I am proud to say that this was part of the fruit derived from my experience during INIA’s international training programme in Economic Aspects and Income Security, back in 2003».
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Richard Semanda
GRCF-Uganda
Social Gerontology, 2002
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INIA’s past participant Richard Semanda, Executive Director; Geriatric Respite Care Foundation-Uganda (GRCF- U) began a three-year term as a Board member of the international Association of Homes and Services on Ageing (IAHSA), in January 2016.
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Francis Njuakom Nchii
Founder & Executive Director of CDVTA Cameroon
Social Gerontology, 2001
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INIA’s past participant Francis Njuakom Nchii, Founder & Executive Director of CDVTA Cameroon was awarded the rank of ‘Knight of Cameroon Order of Valour’ at Cameroon’s National day celebration, 20 May 2016.
This is the second highest Medal Honour in the Republic of Cameroon and Francis was given the award for his over 20 years in the promotion of care and rights of older people and their dependents in Cameroon and beyond. CDVTA is Cameroon’s leading age-care organisation, with over 18 years’ successful evidence-based, elderly-driven integrated home-based care best practices. |
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