Proportion of eldery persons expected to increase — NCFA

AMMAN — The proportion of older persons is predicted to increase both locally and globally, said the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA) Secretary General Mohammad Miqdadi on Tuesday.

Speaking during an event on Tuesday, organised by the NCFA and the UNFPA on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons, observed annually on October 1, Miqdadi said that according to figures published by the Department of Statistics in 2015, persons aged between 60 and 64 accounted for 5.2 per cent of the population in Jordan, compared with 3.7 per cent in 2015.

Further, he noted that “older persons are a segment of society that does not receive much attention. Focus is usually not directed towards their challenges and issues”.

According to a 2017 study conducted by the council, there is a deficiency in services provided to the elderly population in the Kingdom, and weak contributions from the private sector to the development of elderly care homes.

UN Population Fund (UNFPA) official Layali Abu Seir highlighted the importance of providing care and protection to the elderly through policy development and programme improvement that can ensure them a dignified life.

According to Abu Seir, one in eight persons in the world is over the age of 60. She added that “ageing, despite being a global phenomenon, increases in developing countries, even in those with the youngest populations, like Jordan”.

During the event, Sheikh Abdul Karim Khasawneh, the grand mufti of the Kingdom, shed light on the importance of caring for older persons, “as they are the representation of wisdom, and the safety valve of society”.

Additionally, Khasawneh pointed out that Jordanian society pays great attention to the elderly, as it is part of the culture.

During the event, a procedural manual for people working in elderly care homes was launched.