Tag: Sophie Okolo
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Africa Must Prepare for Aging Population Now
As countries like Japan and Italy prepare for the challenges of an aging population, African countries are focusing on the need for youth empowerment. Youth make up the next generation of workers, parents, and leaders in Africa; hence investing in them is top priority for the continent’s transformation. While empowering…
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A Call to End Elder Abuse and Neglect in 2015
Elder abuse continues to be a worldwide problem. This year, former minister of social welfare, Paurina Mpariwa, accused the Zimbabwean government of neglecting the elderly. Since the Older Persons Act was signed into law, the government has failed to implement the provisions including protection from all forms of abuse such…
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Ebola and the Elderly: Focusing on a Vulnerable Population
Certain diseases like pertussis and dementia are associated with distinct populations. Pertussis is generally linked to children and dementia is generally linked to older adults. While both diseases can affect atypical populations, health professionals cannot have the same mindset when rare diseases like Ebola are concerned. The Ebola outbreak continues…
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Promoting Advance Directives, Reducing Medicare Spending
*This article was extracted from a longer, in-depth, paper written during my internship with a policy forum in Washington, D.C. More and more people are living to the age of 100. As our longevity increases, it is crucial to have an advance directive to make health care decisions, which may…
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Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s: A Great Threat to the U.S. National Budget
Since the last Presidential Election, the national budget has been a sore spot for Republicans and Democrats, the two major political parties in the U.S. While government programs such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are leading debates on reducing the national budget, politicians are oblivious of a looming threat…
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Old and Forgotten: The Crisis of Africa’s Elderly
Africa is currently the most youthful continent in the world. At least 35 per cent of its more than one billion population is between the ages of 15 and 35. While investing in the youth is a priority for the continent’s transformation, the elderly should not be forgotten. As Africa’s…
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Quality of Life for Elders: Lessons from South Africa and Bolivia
Last year, the Global AgeWatch Index published a report on the quality of life for elders in 91 nations. The report included several factors such as income security, health and well-being, employment and education. African nations did not fare well. South Africa was the highest ranked African nation at number…
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June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month
June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. Worldwide, there are at least 44.4 million people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia’s. Dementia is a non-communicable disease and one of the main health challenges for the elderly in continents such as Africa and Asia. The current health systems of these…
Global Health Aging 