Geriatric Care and Vulnerable Support initiative yesterday urged the State government to take as a matter of urgency and necessity the health and economic survival of older persons seriously.
The Executive Director of Geriatric Care Vulnerable Support Initiative, and South East Co-ordinator of Coalition of Societies for the Right of Older Persons in Nigeria (COSROPIN) Humanitarian George Andreas Adikibe stated this during a courtesy visit to the Honourable Commissioner for Gender Affairs and Vulnerable Affairs, Hon Chief Nkeiru lbekwe at her office in the State Secretariat.
Speaking, Humanitarian George Andreas Adikibe said, ”Hon Commissioner, thank you for this opportunity, we are here to notify you about the existence of a geriatric organization here in Imo State and her activities which has been championing the plight of order persons because All Lives Matter the Aged and Vulnerable “.
“We are also here to inform you on our activities towards the communication of the United Nations International Day for Older Persons which usually comes on the first week of October, and to finalize a collaboration with your ministry in that regard
Speaking further on the need to change the negative perception that encourage the exclusion of order persons in the scheme of things in the society not even those on retirement. “It would interest you to know the objectives and policy statement of our organization which includes
Promoting the rights and dignity of older and vulnerable persons in the society.
Multi-level stakeholders ‘engagement, integrating multi sectorial and interdisciplinary policy framework on Ageing.
Empowering older persons especially widows within functional abilities through business capacity building, training and provision of micro credit and modern framing technology.
Promoting and coordinating community social health insurance scheme for older persons in rural communities hence achieving Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goal 3(Accessible Health For All by 2020)
In response ,the Hon Commissioner expressed her profound gratitude to the Geriatric Care and Vulnerable Support initiative for their selfless intervention in the care, support and service to older persons in Imo State .she stated the “need to replicate the standard of older persons in America here in our State “In fact I will share the objective of your wonderful proposal with his Excellency Gov Emeka Ihidioha on the important of establishing older persons Home in the three political zones of the State “
Also speaking were members of Board of Trustees of the NGO, Prof C. Nwachukwu, a professor of project management and the immediate past head of department Public Health Dr Sally Ibe who congratulated the commissioner on her appointment and urged her to look into the challenges of older persons especially the non-literate category in the State.
Among those in the visit include representatives of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners and Senior Citizens of the State and other COSROPIN members.
