National Network
for Older Persons
of Uganda
National Network
for Older Persons
of Uganda
There are 1.5 million persons aged 60 years and older in Uganda. This vulnerable group of people is largely neglected by governments and the international aid community. Many older Ugandans live in extreme poverty in communities where elder abuse is common and access to health care is poor. And yet older people play a vital role in Ugandan society. In particular, they provide much of the care for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS.
Uganda has a population of about 30 million and persons aged 60 years and over make up about 5% of the population. Some might find this surprising, given that the life expectancy at birth in Uganda is about 46 years. However, life expectancy is simply the average number of years that someone can expect to live. In Uganda, half the population will die before age 46 and half will live longer. A 60 year old Ugandan male can expect, on average, to live to be 74, and a 60 year old Ugandan female can expect to live to be 76. (For comparison, the corresponding figures in Australia are 80 for males and 85 for females.)
Uganda´s demographic pattern is a typical of sub-Saharan Africa. In 2005 there were 37 million people aged 60 years and over in sub-Saharan Africa. Over the next 40 years the number of older people will increase more rapidly in sub-Saharan Africa than in any other region of the world: a more than four-fold increase from 37 million people aged 60 years and over in 2005 to 155 million in 2050. This compares with a three-fold increase in Asia, a two-fold increase in North America, and only a 50% increase in Europe. In 2050 there will be more people aged 60 years and over in sub-Saharan Africa than in Europe (64 million) or North America (121 million).