Another feather in the cap of older people is that Ageing Nepal, an NGO working for the rights and welfare of the elderly was recently awarded UNESCO's prestigious King Sejong Literacy Prize for 2020, for its national programme "Basic Literacy for Older Adults". The programme has been running basic literacy classes for senior citizens of Nepal since 2016, said Krishna Murari Gautam, founding Chairman of Ageing Nepal. Gautam calls for "Not Leaving Older Adults Behind in the process of achieving SDGs". He firmly believes that, "The elderly do not need charity but an enabling environment. The focus should be on their health, education and training for digital literacy. Older people need to speak out. They should have their own radio programmes, literature, and daily newspapers. They must use the media to highlight their problems and issues and reach out to as many people as possible."
The longevity revolution needs to be optimized through a life cycle approach to deal with ageing. It begins with adolescence, moves on to reproductive age and then continues into old age throughout the lifecycle of a person. It is not just about healthcare and wellbeing of people but also about the continuum of care - be it preventive care, palliative care or chronic disease treatment. Health systems have to be equipped to deal with this age-inclusive approach in an integrated manner.
On their part, the elderly need to challenge, overcome and denormalise ageism and help find solutions rather than succumb to stereotypes. Remember that age is just a number. We only have one-shot at life! Age gracefully! Boycott ageism!
Shobha Shukla - CNS (Citizen News Service)
(Shobha Shukla is the founding Managing Editor of CNS (Citizen News Service) and is a feminist, health and development justice advocate. She is a former senior Physics faculty of Loreto Convent College and current Coordinator of Asia Pacific Media Network to end TB & tobacco and prevent NCDs (APCAT Media). Follow her on Twitter @shobha1shukla or read her writings here www.bit.ly/ShobhaShukla)
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