Hon. Indra Chandrapal, Minister of Human Services and Social Security
Other Ministers of Government
Dr. Bernadette Theodore-Gandhi, PAHO/WHO Representative to Guyana
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Delegates
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
On behalf of the Caribbean Community Secretariat, let me welcome you to this launching of the Caribbean Charter on Health and Ageing.
As you know, today’s launch should have been taking place on the occasion of the opening of the Third Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD). However, because of the threat of Hurricane Jose and the inability of several ministerial delegates to travel, that meeting has had to be postponed.
As we gather here this morning, I know that all out thoughts and prayers are with out brothers and sisters in the Windward and Leeward Islands and other islands in the path of the threatening storm as they gear themselves for the possibility of yet another strike. It is our fervent hope that we will be spared on this occasion. And having regard to our purpose here today, these hopes and prayers are especially for that sector of the population which is less able to cope with the onslaught of a hurricane and its aftermath.
Today’s launch is particularly significant, coming as it does within the year designated by the United Nations as the International Year for Older Persons. This launching allows us in CARICOM not only to play a part in the worldwide events marking this year, but provides an opportunity from the Regional and the personal perspectives to take stock of where we are in regard to dealing with the aging process, which we are all experiencing, and with the status and prospects of older persons.
Not too long ago, most people looked towards “old age” with a certain degree of apprehension, if not dread, but as advances in modern medicine, science and technology, and improvement in lifestyles have begun to take root, the prospect of ageing is perhaps starting to be viewed with less negative connotations. It follows, therefore, that population ageing should not be viewed as a crisis in life, although it must be recognized that it does bring with it definite challenges to the society that have to be addressed.
We in the Caribbean have a unique situation in which although the majority of the population is under 25 years of age, there is a significant and rapidly expanding elderly population. By the year 2025, statistical projections indicate that persons over sixty will constitute 17 percent of the population in the region.
As we grapple with the many socio-economic demands, we have to take these realities into consideration since they have widespread implications for all facets of our public and private sectors, including health care needs, composition of the labour force, dependency rations, public recreation facilities, etc.
This Charter comes, therefore, at a most opportune time for the Caribbean, providing as it does a guide for development of policies, programmes and plans which will take into consideration the needs of the current older population and enable us to prepare for future cohorts of elder persons, including ourselves.
The challenge for this generation of policy makers, therefore, is to strive to ensure that older persons experience the quality of life necessary to maintain personal well-being which will enable them to share with the Region the benefit of their experience, knowledge and skills. This could only redound to the betterment of the Caribbean as it will help to enlarge the well of valuable human resources from which the youth and middle aged can draw, and thereby create a sustained inter-generational link that could provide the Region with a critical bridge to the 21st Century.
It is in this context that I take very great pleasure in welcoming you, on behalf of the Caribbean Community Secretariat, to this very important occasion.
