New Telegraph

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: 4 out of 6 older persons suffers abuse

The Director General of the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC), Emem Omokaro has said four out of six older persons are abused.

She made this known in a press briefing organised to commemorate the World Older Abuse Awareness Day yesterday in Abuja.

“The UN International Plan of Action refers to the alarming and increasing incidence of elder abuse at all levels and in all its forms, as public health crises, as research confirms that four out of six older persons are abused.”

She said this year’s commemoration is very special since, after many years of indifference: “Nigeria’s senior citizens now have a focal centre saddled with the responsibility of enhancing their welfare; we can certainly affirm Nigeria’s readiness to optimally address the challenges that are being faced by its senior citizens.

“The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, it is a day set aside to create awareness and deepen understanding of the cultural, social, economic, and demographic processes affecting older persons; to recognize and assess the stereotypes, prejudices, discrimination, neglect, violence and stigmatization they face within households, communities, private and public institutions, where they expect a level of trust.”

Omokaro noted that Nigeria is now situated to address the key drivers of older person’s vulnerabilities that make them older persons susceptible to abuse.

She highlights that the National Senior Citizens Centre Act is land mark legislation and its mandates the Centre to provide for the dignity, security, and wellbeing of senior citizens in a variety of domains, including health, social programmes, recreation, sports training and capacity enhancement and, the facilitation of work schemes for seniors.

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