Africa-Press – Mauritius. Participants who have successfully completed a three-day workshop on Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) received their certificate, yesterday at the Caudan Arts Centre in Port Louis, during an official ceremony held in the presence of the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal.
The objectives of the workshop were, amongst others, to promote a healthier lifestyle for senior citizens and to provide training to some 30 participants from different organisations across the country in order to prepare them to adhere to the ICOPE programme. The World Health Organization Representative in Mauritius, Dr Anne Marie Ancia, and other personalities were also present on this occasion.
In his address, Minister Jagutpal recalled that the ICOPE National Strategy was officially launched by the Prime Minister, Mr Pravin Kumar Jugnauth, in March 2023 in a bid to promote a person-centred integrated and long-term care so as to cater for the unique requirements of older persons.
He underlined that the around 18% of the population are aged 60 years or above, while this number is expected to reach some 39% by 2061. According to the Minister, Government’s vision is to effortlessly diagnose the health issues of the elderly at an early stage and allow them to retain a better life.
Dr Jagutpal also highlighted the endeavours of his Ministry to promote better medical assistance and uplift the quality of health care in Mauritius. Speaking about sustainable health, he observed that the Mauritian medical system needs to be reviewed and that ICOPE must be an integral part of it for a more effective diagnosis mechanism.
He expressed satisfaction as the training imparted will inculcate new skills into experts of the medical field and enable our elderly to enjoy a healthier life.
For her part, Dr Ancia lauded the participation of all key stakeholders who, on a daily basis, work in collaboration for the well-being of the population. She also emphasised on the need of effectively implementing the visionary strategies proposed during the ICOPE workshop.
It is recalled that the aim of the ICOPE framework is to preserve the autonomy of elderly persons, through early identification of any issue pertaining to cognition, mental health, vision, hearing, mobility, and nutrition, in order to sustain their sense of independence and strengthen their enjoyment of a long and healthy life.
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