Officials at the launch of the National Ageing Summit
Quality Insurance Company (QIC) and the Centre for Ageing Studies, University of Ghana, have launched the maiden national summit on ageing.
The event, slated to be held in December 2022,aims at highlighting the need, challenges and the contribution of the elderly in society.
It also seeks to create the platform for advocacy for better care and wellbeing for the ageing in society.
Chief Executive Officer, QIC,Kwabena Addison,speaking at the launch, said the summit is timely, adding that it ties in with the agenda of the company to have more ageing people insured.
“The objective of the summit is that we get talking about ageing. We thrive on business so it is not out of place for us, an insurance company, to get ourselves involved in the national summit,” he said.
He noted that the summit will create the opportunity for QIC to share its insurance policy targeted at the ageing population to a wider audience, while calling for the insurance industry to look at more policies that caters for the needs of the ageing.
Aged Bill
Director of the Centre of Ageing Studies, Professor Mavis Dako-Gyeke, raised concerns over the delay in the passage of the Aged Bill.
She noted that the passage of the bill comes with the legislative instrument that spells out the responsibility from different units or groups responsible for ensuring that the wellbeing and quality of life of older persons are adhered in society.
“We think that it needs to be passed now because it establishes the framework for which rights of older persons would be upheld, because once you say that the society is responsible for the elderly, who and who would have to do what,” she indicated.
Professor Dako-Gyeke expressed her frustration at the setback of the bill due to the low interest shown by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the sector ministry which is to spearhead its passage.
“We have been working with them but it gets to a point that we also get tired. When your efforts are not seeing the light of day because after working on the document it goes to Parliament, gets to a point and Parliament goes on recess, and you have to start all over again.
“I am thinking that we are not very passionate about it or we are not thinking about it,” she added.
Director in charge of Policy at the Ministry, Felix Logah, expressed the support of the ministry for the summit.
He assured that theAged Bill remains a priority of the ministry and would soon be passed.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri