Akuapem North MP marks International Day of Older Persons with support programme

Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Samuel Awuku, has called for greater respect and support for older persons, saying society should consider how it would want to be treated in old age.

“How we want to be honoured in our later stages in life, we need to honour this same older generation,” Mr Awuku said in an interview after a programme to mark the 2026 United Nations International Day of Older Persons in his constituency.

The commemoration was held at the Grace Presbyterian Church Auditorium in Akropong Akuapem on Thursday, October 1, and was organised by the University of Ghana’s Centre for Ageing Studies in collaboration with the Office of the Akuapem North MP.

The programme, which was sponsored by the MP’s office, was held under the theme, “The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives,” with the slogan, “Growing Old! Growing Bold!”

The theme calls for greater attention to ensuring that longer lives translate into healthy, productive, dignified and equitable lives.

Mr Awuku said his office partnered with the Centre for Ageing Studies to reach and support older persons across the constituency.

He said beneficiaries received medical care, health education, wheelchairs and other forms of basic support as part of the programme.

“Our older generation were once like us,” he said, stressing the need for the younger generation to recognise the contribution of older persons and consider how they would want to be treated when they eventually grow old.

Mr Awuku said respect for older persons should be demonstrated through practical actions, including providing support, showing courtesy and offering love and affection.

“We owe them a duty to give them the respect, the courtesies, the love and the affection that they deserve,” he said.

He also said the treatment of older persons should reflect Ghana’s long-standing values of respect for elders.

Among those who participated in the programme was a 101-year-old constituent, to whom Mr Awuku donated a wheelchair to support his mobility.

The MP said the initiative was intended not only to mark the international observance but also to provide practical assistance to older persons who had contributed to their families and communities over the years.

Blue Medics, a health and policy advocacy group, served as the official health service provider for the programme and supported the medical screening and other health-related activities.

Convener of Blue Medics, Daniel Appiah, said the theme highlighted the need to ensure that longer life expectancy is accompanied by appropriate healthcare and social support.

He said older persons should not merely live longer but should be able to enjoy their later years with dignity, good health and the support they need.

Ghana’s population aged 60 years and above increased from 213,477 in 1960 to 1,901,736 in 2021 and is projected to reach 5.7 million by 2050, according to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. The Ministry has said the demographic change requires stronger systems to ensure that additional years of life are lived in good health, with dignity, security, independence and purpose.