The 14th session of the UN Open-ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG) was held between 20-24th May 2024 in New York. It is a critical time for civil society to maintain pressure for the adoption of a United Nations' Convention on the rights of older people.
On behalf of Silver Inning Foundation Ms. Hira Mehta - official Spokesperson and Ms. Ramaa Subramaniam Co Founder of Silver Inning Foundation participated in this esteem global meet.
Silver Inning Foundation submitted this following official statement for The 14th session of the UN Open-ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG) : https://social.un.org/ageing-working-group/documents/fourteenth%20session/INPUTS%20NGOS/Silver%20Inning%20Foundation.pdf
Date 9th April’24
The Chair,
Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing on Ageing
14th General Assembly, May’ 24
United Nations
New York
Statement of Silver Inning Foundation for Fourteenth Session of Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG) on Ageing on “Right to health and access to health services”
Indian society is undergoing rapid transformation under the impact of industrialization, urbanization, technical & technological change, Education and globalization.
Consequently, the traditional values and institutions are in the Process of erosion and adaptation, resulting in the weakening of Intergenerational ties that were the hallmark of the traditional Family, this has great impact on older persons.
Senior citizens in India is a person who is 60plus and they belong to diverse groups. Consequently, the ageing issues are also different and a lot depends on the family support system the older persons enjoy. The heterogeneity among the older persons population must be factored into framing appropriate models of care for them.3
As per the latest report, there were 149 million persons aged 60 years and above in 2022 (as of 1 July) 2 comprising around 10.5% of the country's population. And, by 2050, this population will double to 20.8%, with the absolute number at 347 million.
The right to health is a fundamental right that ensures individuals have access to necessary healthcare services and a state of well-being. In India, the recognition and implementation of the right to health have evolved over time through constitutional provisions, legal frameworks, and judicial interpretations. 1
Challenges in Realizing the Right to Health: 1
• Healthcare Infrastructure: Inadequate healthcare infrastructure in
rural and remote areas, shortages of healthcare facilities, including
hospitals, clinics, and qualified healthcare professionals.
• Health Awareness and Education: Limited health awareness and inadequate health education among the population hinder preventive healthcare measures and early detection of diseases.
Addressing these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach involving robust healthcare policies, increased investment in healthcare infrastructure, prioritization of preventive healthcare, expansion of health insurance coverage, and targeted interventions to address health disparities and social determinants of health.1
Government Initiatives and Public Health Programs 1
The Indian government some
notable public health programs to promote the right to health and improve
healthcare accessibility across the country:
National Health Mission (NHM): The NHM is one of the flagship programs of the Indian government aimed at improving healthcare services, especially in rural and underserved areas. It encompasses two sub-missions: the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM to strengthen healthcare infrastructure, enhancing human resources for health, promoting maternal and child health, addressing communicable and non-communicable diseases.
Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY): is a health insurance program launched in 2018. It provides financial protection to over 500 million vulnerable individuals and families by offering cashless coverage for secondary and tertiary healthcare services.
Recommendations1
• Strengthening
Healthcare Infrastructure: Increase investment in healthcare infrastructure,
particularly in rural.
• Enhancing
Primary Healthcare: Strengthening primary healthcare services for comprehensive
and preventive care.
• Addressing
Health Disparities: To address regional and socio-economic disparities in
healthcare access and affordability.
• National
Dementia Strategy: Need for national policy with a very clear and well defined
action plan since India has a sizeable population of Alzheimer's disease
affected people and certain traits like illiteracy and social taboos make the
country unique.
• Universal
Health Coverage: Universal health coverage by expanding health insurance
schemes to all 60plus
• Focus
on Preventive Healthcare: Prioritizing preventive healthcare measures, health
education, vaccination campaigns, and early detection of diseases.
Conclusion: The right to health is a fundamental right in India, enshrined in the Constitution and supported by legal frameworks, judicial interpretations, and landmark court judgments. While progress has been made in promoting healthcare access and improving public health, challenges remain in fully realizing the right to health especially for the older persons.
We at Silver Inning Foundation strongly advocate and demand ‘UN Convention for Older Person Rights’ so that older persons can have access to healthcare to help them maintain or regain the optimum level of physical, mental and emotional well-being and to prevent or delay the onset of illness and Live life with dignity and self-fulfillment.
Reference:
1The Right to Health as a Fundamental Right
in India: JETIR June 2023, Volume 10, Issue 6 https://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2306301.pdf
3 https://loksabhadocs.nic.in/Refinput/New_Reference_Notes/English/06072020_122044_1021205239.pdf
Sailesh Mishra, Founder President, Silver Inning Foundation
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