By Mfon Jacott.
Around 16% of the world’s population is predicted to be 65 years or older in 2050. According to the standards of the United Nations and the World Health Organization, an older person is universally defined as someone who has reached the age of 60. Care needs increase with age, and senior citizens have unmet care needs related to their physical and psychological health, social life, and the environment in which they live and interact. Senior citizens are extensive users of health and social care services and are greatly affected by health policy decisions across all care settings. Similarly, informal caregivers assume many different roles in providing care support for senior citizens, thus constituting a heavy burden on them. Their input or that of their informal caregivers in health policy development is under-represented.
Since the appointment of Mrs Mercy Eka as the Akwa Ibom State Coordinator for ARISE ELDERLY INITIATIVE, she has carefully developed strategies for designing and implementing policies that matter to ageing senior citizens. Her leadership style has been participatory with the notion that senior citizens and their informal caregivers should have a voice in decisions associated with them since their perspectives in all stages of policymaking will improve the success and sustainability of projected outcomes which can either be instrumental, developmental or democratic.
It is worthy noting that her administration has been instrumental in the smooth implementation of direct intervention programs of the office of the Akwa Ibom First Lady with Medicare and cash empowerment beneficiaries across the State. A monthly programme which is designed to support and domesticate the renewed Hope elderly empowerment initiative from the office of the First Lady of Nigeria.
With the ratification of the National Policy on Ageing for Older Persons in Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari Federal Executive Council on 10th February 2021, the golden era administration of Governor Umo Eno has shown great promise to deliver democratic dividends to elderly citizens in Akwa Ibom State. The Mrs Mercy Eka-led administration of the ARISE ELDERLY INITIATIVE has been pragmatic in formulating policy directives where senior citizens are guaranteed security, independence, participation, comprehensive care, self-fulfilment and dignity. An inclusive governance agenda that covers an intersecting spectrum of issues and opportunities for older women and men in urban and rural settings, older persons living with disabilities, older migrants, internally displaced older persons, Poor older persons and older persons who are full of vigour contributing to the progress of families, communities and the larger society.
Mrs. Mercy Eka’s programme agenda has further established a fundamental positive change in the perception and attitude about ageing and inclusive society.
An agenda that is projected to guarantee an improved quality of life for senior citizens in Akwa Ibom State and strengthen the traditional support systems for them, to provide the framework for the regulatory mechanism on ageing issues, to guarantee adequate and sustainable income, security and healthy ageing, to ensure that the fundamental human rights of older persons are upheld and protected and to develop a functional data management system for effective research, planning, monitoring and evaluation of ageing programming.
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