The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called for stronger social protection, accessible healthcare and comprehensive support systems for older persons in The Gambia, warning that growing old should not mean living in poverty, facing discrimination or depending entirely on family members for survival.
Speaking at the commemoration of the International Day of Older Persons at the Senegambia Beach Hotel on Thursday, NHRC Chairperson Emmanuel D. Joof said protecting older persons must be recognised as a human rights obligation rather than an act of charity.
The commemoration was held under the theme, “The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives,” which calls for a reassessment of social, economic and healthcare systems to meet the needs of an ageing population.
Joof said older persons deserved to live with dignity, good health, peace of mind and access to essential services, stressing the need for The Gambia to prepare for the future as more people live longer.
According to figures cited by the NHRC chairperson, approximately 73,754 people in The Gambia are aged 65 and above, representing about three per cent of the population. He warned that this proportion was expected to increase, making it necessary for the country to strengthen its support systems for older citizens.
“We want to grow old, we want to grow older, with dignity, with good health, access to basic services and peace of mind,” Joof said.
He emphasised that the country must prepare for a future in which its citizens will increasingly need accessible healthcare, integrated social protection, appropriate care services and opportunities to participate meaningfully in society.
“Protecting older persons should not simply be an act of charity. It is a matter of human rights, equality and social justice,” he said.
Joof added that older persons deserved respect and protection against discrimination, abuse, neglect and social exclusion.
He welcomed The Gambia’s progress in ratifying the African Union Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Older Persons in Africa, which the National Assembly ratified on June 25, 2024.
However, he stressed that more efforts were needed to popularise the protocol and translate its provisions into practical measures that improve the lives of older persons.
He called for stronger advocacy and collaboration among stakeholders to support the domestication and implementation of the protocol, the development of a national policy on older persons and increased state support, including social protection and access to essential services.
Delivering the keynote address, Alay Barra, Director of Social Welfare at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, said the commemoration provided an opportunity to reaffirm the country’s collective commitment to safeguarding the rights and well-being of older persons.
Barra said increasing life expectancy was an achievement reflecting improvements in health, education, nutrition and social development. However, he noted that longer lives also required governments and institutions to rethink how their systems respond to the needs and aspirations of ageing populations.
He said ageing should not be viewed as a burden but celebrated as a testament to human progress and an opportunity to benefit from the experience, wisdom and contributions of older citizens.
Despite their contributions to families, communities and national development, Barra noted that many older persons continued to face poverty, inadequate access to healthcare and social protection, discrimination, neglect, abuse and social isolation.
He said addressing these challenges requires collective action involving government institutions, civil society organisations, communities and development partners.
Meanwhile, Jainaba Jallow Njie, President of the University of the Third Age, Gambia Chapter, described growing old as a stage of life many people look forward to, having witnessed the experiences of their grandparents and parents.
The discussions also highlighted the need for reliable social protection that enables older persons to live with dignity and reduces excessive financial dependence on relatives.
Key issues included establishing or strengthening social pension arrangements for older persons without formal retirement benefits, expanding pension coverage to informal-sector workers, farmers and traders, and improving support for those living in poverty.
The commemoration renewed calls for policies that recognise older persons not merely as vulnerable members of society but as citizens with rights, knowledge, experience and valuable contributions to national development.
