Africa-Press – Uganda. Violation of elderly persons’ rights is still on the increase despite the legal and policy framework that provides for their rights in Uganda, the Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs Ms Minsa Kabanda has said.
“Many elder persons are unaware of their rights and wrongly accept age discrimination as part of being old, they are thus highly vulnerable to neglect, isolation, elder abuse and face discrimination in accessing social services,” Ms Kabanda said during the International Good Deeds Day celebrations held in Entebbe on Friday.
“Elderly persons face challenges that include social insecurity and economic constraints that renders them highly vulnerable. Their economic situation is burdened by looking after orphans and other vulnerable left by the youth who have succumbed to diseases and accidents,” she said.
Ms Kabanda said most times elderly persons rights abuses are not considered violations as they are often left unattended to in most cases due to the cultural incantations that are deeply rooted in communities.
“Elders contribute immensely to the creation of wealth support and care for orphans and other vulnerable children, create cohesion, resolve conflicts in our communities and guard cultures and traditions that are passed on from generation to generation,”she said.
The C.E.O Good deeds day international, Mr Kaynan Rabino, said the goal of the day is to create more awareness of doing good and celebrate people that are doing good for others every year.
“What we have here in Uganda, we have a big fear around issues of health in elderly people who need services like eye checks, screening health issues, dentists which we offer for free in over 100 countries around the world. Good Deeds Day believes that if people think good, speak good, and do good, the circle of goodness will grow in the world,” he said.
The national coordinator Good Deeds Day Mr. Joseph Kiggundu said there is need for health services to be extended nearer to elderly persons to enable them get treatment for illness easily.
“We decided to celebrate with the elderly who are our foundation, they take care of us but their life spans have now lessened, we need to show them that we care and still support them in all aspects the same way they did as they raised us” he said.
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