Francis-Xavier Sosu, the representative for Madina, has requested that Parliament ratify the Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons in Ghana.
In a statement issued by his office, the Madina MP stated, "According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were 1 billion people worldwide who were 60 years of age or older as of 2020.
This number is anticipated to increase to 1.4 billion by 2030, with 1 in 6 of those individuals being 60 years of age or older.
Additionally, by 2050, there will be 2.1 billion individuals over the age of 60, with 80% of them residing in low- and middle-income nations.
For us in Africa, despite having the fewest elderly people of any continent, with an adult population that is primarily above the age of As of 2020, there were 74.4 million people aged 60 and over, or 5.6% of the population. By 2050, that number is projected to treble to 235.1 million, a rise of 216%, greatly outpacing the growth of older populations in other areas.
This will result in 36 African countries having more than a million senior citizens in 30 years, with seven of those having at least 10 million senior citizens apiece.
According to the most recent 2021 Population and Housing Census, adults in Ghana over the age of 65 make up 4.4% of the population, but by 2050, that number is expected to increase to around 12%.
Over the years, older people in Ghana and throughout Africa have experienced treatments and (ageist) attitudes that have led to discrimination, exclusion, and restrictions on their legal capacity, autonomy, and independence, among other things.
These situations have harmed their rights to life and dignity and violated numerous international treaties, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.
"As you may know, I firmly believe in human rights, especially for Ghana's most vulnerable. In fact, it is because of this conviction that I have introduced ten (10) Private Member's Bills in Ghana's Parliament, including a Bill to amend the Criminal and Other Offences Act 1960 (Act 29) to outlaw the practice of witch finding or witch doctoring by anyone, as well as to outlaw declaring, accusing, naming, or labeling another person as a witch, all of which are phenomena or practices that are primarily practiced in Northern Ghana.
In light of the aforementioned facts, I urge the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana to ratify the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons.
The Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons, which was adopted in January 2016, is the result of lengthy deliberations and highlighted promises made by African States in the African Union Policy Framework and Plan of Action on Aging in 2002.
The Protocol will make it easier to hold governments accountable for their efforts to defend older people's rights and establish a continental minimum level of protection for older people across all member nations.
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