DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said on Tuesday the government will continue protecting older people against discrimination at the same time improving their welfare.
"The government will make sure that old people are not discriminated, there is conducive infrastructure for them and improved procedures for paying their pensions," said Majaliwa in an address to mark the International Day of Older Persons broadcast live by state-run Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation.
"Improvement of the welfare of older people is one of the agenda of the fifth phase administration of President John Magufuli," he told a public rally in the country's southern region of Mtwara.
He said the government initiated the Tanzania Social Action Fund in 2000 as one of its programs on poverty reduction among its people, including older persons.
HelpAge International, a global network of organizations promoting the right of all older people to lead dignified, healthy and secure lives, said in a statement on Tuesday that this year's celebration has come at a time when the government of Tanzania has made remarkable milestones on the issues of older people.
"Early this year we witnessed the launch of the National Strategy to Eradicate Elderly Killings in Tanzania," said Smart Daniel, Tanzania Country Director HelpAge International.
Older people in Tanzania account to 5.6 percent of the entire population, according to the 2012 national census.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that one in every six people in the world will be aged over 65 by 2050.
"These drastic changes in the global populations call for nations to set policies, strategies now and systems to carter for their growing demands and accommodate the challenges that come with the population ageing," said UNFPA.
