The Ones We Seldom See: Old Folks in Young Countries

J Am Geriatr Soc. 2019 Nov;67(11):2240-2244. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16191. Epub 2019 Oct 11.

Abstract

It has long been thought that demographic aging and its attendant implications for health and social services is primarily a problem for industrialized wealthy countries. Nothing could be further from the truth since most older persons (and an increasingly higher number) reside in low-income countries. Through a description of a home visit to older women in the small town of Gondar, Ethiopia, the general state of older persons in sub-Saharan Africa is addressed. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2240-2244, 2019.

Keywords: Ethiopia; global burden of disease; low-income countries; sub-Saharan Africa.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Africa South of the Sahara
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Developing Countries
  • Geriatric Assessment*
  • Health Services Accessibility / organization & administration*
  • Humans
  • Population Dynamics*