In his opening speech, HE al-Khalifa noted that this year was dedicated to highlighting an important segment of Qatari society, which is the elderly, who receive great attention at the family and state levels.
He emphasised the need to develop care systems, especially health and social care, in a way that responds to the challenges resulting from, and that will result from, the significant increase in the numbers of this social segment and the growing needs of it and to address the challenges and difficulties that hinder the community participation of the elderly.
In her speech, HE the Minister of Social Development and Family Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser al-Misnad said that honouring the elderly is an occasion that we all take advantage of to appreciate a generation that has given everything it has for us. She noted that the elderly are the memory and torches on the path of our development, and honouring them is a right, and caring for them is a national goal and duty affirmed by Qatar National Vision 2030.
She added that strengthening the role of the elderly requires empowering them, and it is a duty to provide them with a decent life. She stressed that respect for the elderly stems from our religion and national values.
UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in Muscat (GCC Office) Jocelyn Fenard emphasised the importance of the existing co-operation between the NPC and the PPC on the one hand and UNFPA on the other hand. He noted that investing in the potential of the elderly and ensuring their well-being and health, as well as their integration into society and continued participation as active citizens, requires developing knowledge to understand prevailing trends, designing informed policies, and implementing well-organised programs.
The activities of Qatar Population Day 2024 witnessed the holding of a symposium on the elderly in Qatar: a better future through sustainable care, the first session of which addressed the topic of care provided to the elderly, and the second session addressed the topic of empowering the elderly.
The symposium stressed the importance of intensifying studies, research, and surveys specializing in the conditions of the elderly and their economic, health, psychological, and social needs, in addition to expanding mental and psychological health services for the elderly and integrating them into public health and community protection programmes and systems, as well as updating legislative and legal texts related to the rights of the elderly and the services necessary to meet their health, psychological, social, economic, and recreational needs, in addition to developing practical plans in national strategies to evaluate the competencies of the elderly and re-employ them in development efforts.
The symposium also recommended the need to encourage financial planning and promote a culture of saving among young people as essential tools to ensure their well-being when they grow old, provide comprehensive health insurance in the public and private sectors for the elderly, rehabilitate public transportation and provide it with equipment that enables the elderly to use it easily, expand mobile home care services to serve the elderly, provide special windows at government agencies to facilitate and expedite transactions for the elderly, and produce dramatic works studied by specialists in elderly issues, aiming to change the stereotype about them and enhance the level of community awareness of their issues.
The recommendations stressed the importance of activating the role of the private sector in supporting programmes and action plans for the elderly, working to integrate the elderly into the digital community, creating a comprehensive national database for the elderly, encouraging major companies, institutions and various bodies, such as banks, to organise sports, cultural and social festivals and forums targeting the elderly and their families.
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