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Older People and HIV AIDS
around the World
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Africa
Ethiopia: Elderly In Long-term Care Setting Suffer Depression More Than Those Cared For At Home (May 9, 2008)
Indiana State student researchers interviewed 272 elders, with an average age of 81 to learn about their expeience with depression. Often patients who live in Long Term Care facility reported feeling depressed and some 30 percent said that they took prescribed antidepressants at the facility. On the other hand, only 11 percent of the residents in a home-care setting took
anti-depressants. The researchers would like to find out more about patterns of anti-depressant use.
Nigeria: In Nigeria, HIV/AIDS Spares Neither Older Persons nor Young People (May 3, 2008)
(Article in French)
A new article from IRIN, an information service attached to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, reveals that more than 4 million Nigerians are infected with HIV/AIDS, making it one of the top countries in the world to suffer the devastation of this pandemic. UNICEF officials said there are 1.8 million orphaned children in Nigeria whose parents have died from the disease. Grandparents often have the responsibility for providing care for their grandchildren, as well as their own adult children.
Tanzania: Lack of Education on HIV 'Endangers Old People' (May 2, 2008)
Help Age International points out that old people in Tanzania have a key role in society: They take care of their orphaned grandchildren. Because of this responsibility to raise their grandchildren, they especially need more education about the dangers of HIV and how to keep from contracting the disease.
Namibia: Elderly and HIV/AIDS in Country (May, 2, 2008)
May 9 marks a national HIV Testing Day in Namibia this year as a way to mobilize people to test for HIV. Meanwhile, the number of elderly people living with HIV/AIDS is quickly increasing worldwide. It is time to acknowledge that older persons are at high infection risk and to give them not only the means to be tested but also the awareness of their own susceptibility to the disease.
Uganda: Older People Spreading HIV More (
March 28, 2008)
With this headline one might expect a report about people of 60 years onward. However, the author, Grace Natabaalo, is reporting on “older people” in Africa where life expectancy in many countries is low. She says that affected persons, mostly married or formerly married, are contracting HIV infections due to multiple sex partners.
Report: Africa: Supporting the Vital Role Played by Older People in the Fight against the HIV and AIDS Pandemic (February 2008)
Help Age International estimates that half the elderly population in HIV/AIDS affected areas care for orphaned children or sick adult children. However, these older persons often face discrimination and don’t get appropriate resources to fight against HIV/AIDS. That is why governments and NGO’s need to involve older persons in their social protection and awareness programs.
South Africa: Social Pensions: South African Families Coping with AIDS (August 20, 2007)
A US study from Professor Enid Schatz, University of Missouri-Columbia, showed the positive impact of “older generation's government pensions.” Many families in South Africa have to confront the death of their primary income earners because of HIV/AIDS, since the pandemic affects first the middle generation. Those social pensions, widely implemented in South Africa, help to maintain an entire household. The study gives the example of an elderly woman and her husband who support 12 people.
Sudan-Uganda: Programs Disregard HIV among the Elderly (July 27, 2007)
Worldwide around 2.8 million persons over 50 are living with HIV. However, older persons continue to be excluded from HIV/AIDS information sessions and medical check-up that could detect the virus early. HelpAge International takes the view that effectively tackling the pandemic among the elderly means acknowledging their sexuality, and recognizing their right to equal access to voluntary counseling and testing, antiretroviral treatment and targeted information.
Namibia: Elderly
Couple Copes with HIV (March 30, 2007)
New Era, a Namibian newspaper, reports on an elderly couple living with
HIV/AIDS in Namibia. Since they learned about the diagnosis of their
disease, 63-year-old Vila Amand and his wife, 61-year-old Martha Costa,
go to the Kavango Bridges of Hope in Rundu every week for HIV/Aids
counseling. This article alerts readers to the fact that older persons
suffer from HIV/AIDS more commonly than many would guess. Undoubtedly
the plague of HIV/AIDS makes elderly even more vulnerable than they
would be otherwise.
Swaziland: The Elderly Have No Time to Retire (August 28, 2007)
"The elderly are rife for exploitation, and they are being exploited by a society that requires them to do demanding work, regardless of their age or infirmities." In many African countries older persons, especially older women, act as care givers of HIV/AIDS orphans, without sufficient support or recognition by humanitarian organizations or the government. "My grandchildren are fed, they are even well-fed,” by government or privately sponsored programs, says Granny Tsela. "But no one prepares meals for the elderly. I am at home with my little bit of porridge, if I am lucky enough to have that."
Kenya: Grannies Who Are Unsung Heroes in the Fight Against HIV/Aids (August 24, 2007)
According to national statistics, out of a total population of 32 million, Kenya has 2.4 million orphans, of which 1.2 million are orphaned by the HIV/AIDS crisis. Taking up the burden of the orphans’ care are mostly their grandmothers. Although most of them are “too old to do simple domestic chores,” “they have no choice but to get up and look for food, medication and shelter.” Largely ignored by the government and aid organizations, the grandmothers are slowly receiving more recognition. While the government plans programs to improve support mechanisms, a movie, “The Grandmother’s Tribe,” detailing their plight will come to the cinemas later this year.
Africa: Population Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Demographic Dimensions 2006 (June 2007)
Although the older population in most developing countries seems relatively small compared to developed countries, poor countries will experience a rapid increase in the “absolute” number of older persons. In sub-Saharan Africa, where the numbers of older persons will raise from 35 million over 60 in 2006 to over 69 million by 2030, the sheer number of older persons grows more rapidly than in developed countries. This report looks at age groups 50-80 and focuses in particular on the effects of HIV/AIDS on population aging.
Africa: Palliative Care in Africa (January 13, 2007)
Mary, a 7-year-old child with HIV infection, lives with her 80-year-old paraplegic grandmother in Uganda. They receive palliative care from a home-based care program. The book, “Hospice and Palliative Care in Africa,” contains plenty of such stories, presenting interviews with palliative care experts from 26 African countries showing the complexities of delivering palliative care across Africa.
Africa: Making Cash Count: Lessons from Cash Transfer Schemes in East and Southern Africa for Supporting the Most Vulnerable Children and Households (November 2005)
This study from Help Age International and Save the Children elucidates the problem of poverty among children in southern and eastern Africa and how it affects the elderly in their society. Even though Botswana and Lesotho are rich and poor countries (respectively), they both have non-contributory social pensions. Many of the adult children of the elderly have passed away because of AIDS resulting in the elderly caring for the grandchildren. Grandparents are the most common carers of orphan children even though there is extended family. Because grandparents do not have the funding to support their grandchildren, many are living in poverty. That's why this study calls for “unconditional cash transfers” to promote a ‘progressive’ social protection agenda. Social protection is important because it includes such a broad range of programs like pensions, family allowances or child benefits, school feeding programs, and health insurance. The childhood poverty problem for the present generation will also lead to poverty for the next generation unless some changes are made to interrupt the poverty cycle.
Mozambique: Elderly 'Witches' Persecuted in Mozambique (July 3, 2002)
Younger people are accusing older women in Mozambique of witchcraft as they attempt to use traditional medicine to heal those infected with HIV/AIDS. The prevalence of HIV and AIDS is high in central Mozambique, where families attack elderly women, driving them away from their homes. The practice of elderly ‘healers’ to conjure up spirits to aid HIV-infected children often times coincides with the death of these untreated individuals, providing an unfounded basis for the accusations. HelpAge International has intervened to protect the accused by helping the local community understand that disease is the culprit, not the older healer. However, some people continue to deem traditional healers ‘liars’ and frauds while others have faith in their healing powers.
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Americas & Caribbean
Jamaica: Grandmas to the Rescue - Elderly Aid Jamaica's Pediatric HIV Treatment (May 12, 2008)
When mothers die from HIV in their 20’s in Jamaica, the burden of care for young children usually falls on elderly female family members. Meanwhile, high unemployment rates and low wages make female heads of households more vulnerable to economic hardships. Older women have to deal with economic, medical and physical challenges as part of taking care of their HIV-positive grandchildren.
US: With HIV, Growing Older Faster (February 5, 2008)
It used to be that HIV/AIDS was uncommon among the elderly because infected individuals did not survive into old age without effective treatment. However, with advancements in HIV/AIDS research, antiretroviral drugs have been developed to curb the symptoms of the infection, but not without severe side effects. When taken in combination—often called “cocktails”—the drugs have allowed HIV patients to live longer, but the side effects are causing some patients to show physical signs of aging much sooner than normal. The onset of depression, a common psychological effect of aging, is also developing sooner in older HIV/AIDS patients. It has been estimated that approximately a quarter of a million persons currently living with HIV/AIDS are 50 years and older.
US: One-third of Sexually Active Older Adults with HIV/AIDS Has Unprotected Sex (April 26, 2007)
Older adults engaging in unprotected sex risk infection with HIV. Researchers at Ohio University surveyed over 200 HIV-positive older adults and found that the mostly males who were in relationships and used Viagra were infected. The lifespan increase contributes to the increase in sexual activity among older adults over the age of 50 years, a growing proportion of whom have and will become HIV/AIDS cases. Earlier studies have shown that 65 percent of older adults over 60 years old engage in sexual intercourse. Drug use and unprotected sex, both risky behaviors, increase the chance of HIV infection. Although many HIV-positive older adults are no longer sexually active, 13 percent remain active and should be the target of prevention methods.
Brazil: Elderly people are at risk to get HIV infection from sexual transmission: an epidemiological survey in the south of Brazil (based on AIDS 2006 - XVI International AIDS Conference)
HIV/AIDS can be found in nearly every country and among every age group. But often researchers and the general public ignore older persons, thinking that they have no sexual activity. However, some Brazilian researchers interviewed a number of older persons in the south of Brazil and found that only 14 % of the people in the age of 60 – 87 years were using condoms. They also had little knowledge of HIV/AIDs transmission or signs of infection. Clearly, older people need much more information about how to protect themselves against the HIV/AIDs infection.
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Asia Pacific
Report:
Cambodia; Older Persons’ AIDS Knowledge and Willingness to Provide Care
in an Impoverished Nation: Evidence from Cambodia (April 2007)
This study examines what persons aged 60 and over in Cambodia know
about HIV/AIDS in their country which has the highest HIV prevalence in
Asia. It is clear that older aged parents commonly play a key role in the
care of their adult sons and daughters living with AIDS. Their
willingness to provide care to a family member increases with the level of
correct knowledge about the infection. But how can older persons learn
about AIDS? The study suggests that helping older persons own radios and
televisions may help, especially if a media campaign follows that
describes AIDS, its causes, and what can be done.
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Global
World:
How Does HIV/AIDS Affect the Elderly in Developing Countries? (August
2007)
Although younger generations are most at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS, the
elderly may be most vulnerable to infection. In addition, as a
greater number of young adults are infected, older persons “not only
lose the support of their adult children, but they must increasingly take
on additional familial responsibilities- with potentially adverse effects
for their own” income and health. Information and resources
targeted at the elderly can help them take care of their loved ones and to
protect themselves.
World: Inadequate Data Affecting Flow of Aid to Elderly HIV/AIDS Care Givers (July 31, 2007)
HelpAge International, a London-based NGO, recently organized a forum to discuss the issue of elderly caregivers in areas ravaged by HIV. Jo Mayer, HIV and AIDS Coordinator at HelpAge, says that older persons often “feel depressed because they have little or no information about HIV (and) so cannot communicate effectively to their grandchildren to help protect them.” Participants recommended including older persons and the particular needs of older caregivers in existing policies.
World: Africa Health Strategy 2007-2015
(April 2007)
African Union ministers have developed the “African Health Strategy 2007-2015,” which aims to offer strategies and approaches on strengthening the equity and development of health systems in Africa. The Health Strategy recognizes many of the challenges that elderly people must face everyday. The strategy highlights the “alarming growth” of chronic diseases and recommends that better services be provided to aid sufferers. It also notes that older people are increasingly shouldering the responsibility of caring for orphans and children.
World: Commission on the Status of
Women: Reversing Spread of HIV/AIDS among Girls and Women (February 27,
2007)
The Commission on the Status of Women is gathering at the UN this year,
February 26th to March 9th around the specific theme of “the elimination
of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child.” Beside
the work of the Commission, NGO’s have organized many side events
relating to the theme. On February 27th, Zonta International held a
workshop entitled “Reversing Spread of HIV/AIDS among girls and women.”
Forming small groups, the audience addressed different questions such as
finding effective measures to combat HIV/AIDS and taking actions with
NGOs and governments. As the workshop leader said, dealing with HIV/AIDS
means also dealing with care issues and the fundamental role
grandmothers take in caring for their grandchildren orphaned by the
plague. Valentine Honoré from Global Action on Aging participated in
this workshop advocating more specifically for social pensions as a
necessary resource to allow older persons to help the young survive. To
learn more about social pensions, click here:
http://www.globalaging.org/pension/world/social/socialpensions.htm
World: Social
Pensions: UN Offers Support but No Cash for Older Carers
(June 8, 2006)
Member states adopted a new UN Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS on June 2, 2006 . The Declaration commits governments to provide support and rehabilitation to older people, particularly in their role as caregivers. Although HelpAge International appreciates this commitment, the organization is concerned that the Declaration contains weak human rights provisions as “it does not acknowledge older people as a vulnerable group with specific needs, and fails to set specific targets towards achieving universal access to treatment by 2010,“ says Jo Maher, HelpAge International’s HIV/AIDS Coordinator.
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