Massive effort to improve social support for
country’s ageing population.
The Cambodian Government plans a large
increase in support for the elderly, announcing over hundreds of new support
groups for its senior citizens.
In 2013, Cambodia has 1.1 million elderly
people. This will grow to 1.8 million people over 60 years, according to the
World Health Organisation.
Many in the older generation have lived
through the violent Khmer Rouge regime. Most of them are women who lost
husbands and children during the period.
Cambodia’s Minister of Social Affairs, Vong
Soth, announced that 394 new support groups will be set up across the the
country next year.
The groups called Older People’s Association
are run by a non-profit HelpAge. They bring the elderly together in small
communities and provide health training, work opportunities, social activities,
and training to access their benefits.
“There are still elderly people who need care
because they do not have a family,” said Kim Vuthy, director of one of the support
groups in the capital Phnom Penh, quoted the Phnom Penh Post.
HelpAge has conducted research on the
effectiveness of the elderly support groups, with results to be published in
December. Preliminary results show that they help the elderly “stay more active”,
according to Tum Vira, Executive Director of HelpAge Cambodia.
Cambodia’s ageing population will also
increase the burden on its health systems. WHO has identified heart, infectious
and parasitic diseases as the top diseases for the elderly.
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