Pakistan needs to generate hard core data on changing demographic environment to devise appropriate strategies for the welfare of the elderly. These views were expressed by University of Gujrat (UOG) Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Nizamuddin at the launching ceremony of How the Elderly Live in Punjab: A Field Survey of the Living Conditions and Health Status of the Elderly of Pakistan here today.
The report has been produced with the financial support of the United Nations Fund for Population (UNFPA) and technical support of the Bureau of Statistics, Government of the Punjab. It involves interviews with about 4,200 respondents aged 60 and above from 14 districts of Punjab.
According to the survey findings, overall conditions of the elderly are the worst in Southern Punjab. Moreover, there is a pronounced disparity in living conditions and health status by gender and residence: the women are much more vulnerable than the men; and the rural residents are in a much worst condition than the urban residents.
The survey also found that even though one-half of the elderly suffer from one or more chronic diseases, the majority of them perceive themselves to be in good health. In addition, the majority of the elderly is not employed and has no independent source of income.
The survey recommended that the National Assembly should pass the law for the establishment of Council for Senior Citizens to safeguard the interests of the elderly. Moreover, the government should introduce universal pension system for all the elderly, both contributing and non-contributing, as has been done in neighbouring countries like India and Nepal.
Other salient recommendations of the survey include establishment of day care/recreational centres for the elderly and increase in the age of retirement, which currently is 60 in Pakistan, considering that the country would not have the human resource to fill the gap created by the retirement of experienced professionals, especially in the area of education and development. Finally, the survey recommended that universities, research institutes, civil society groups and NGOs should conduct longitudinal studies on various aspects affecting the life of the elderly, with the main purpose of improving their overall wellbeing
Dr. Nizamuddin also shared some of the future plans of UOG for improving the living conditions and health status of the elderly, the most important of which was to conduct a similar survey in other provinces of the country. The launching ceremony was also attended by UNFPA Country Representative in Pakistan Daniel B. Baker and officials of the Punjab government.
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