{
  "id": 10994413,
  "title": "Experts call for stronger health, social systems to support Kenya’s ageing population",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/experts-call-for-stronger-health-social-systems-to-support-kenyas",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T17:21:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Capital FM Kenya",
    "slug": "capital-fm-kenya",
    "url": "https://capitalfm.africa/experts-call-for-stronger-health-social-systems-to-support-kenyas-ageing-population/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nairobi, Kenya - As the number of elderly residents increases, experts are urging the strengthening and integration of healthcare, social protection, and community systems in Kenya. At a meeting in Nairobi, health professionals, researchers, policymakers, and older individuals cautioned that aging is more than just a medical challenge. The elderly are grappling with a range of issues, including non-communicable diseases, dementia, mental health problems, mobility difficulties, malnutrition, abuse, and social isolation. The discussions took place at the Kenya Institute of Special Education as part of the International Day of Older Persons Scientific Pre-Conference before the main conference scheduled for October 1-2.\n\nKenya's 2019 Population and Housing Census revealed that approximately 2.7 million people are aged 60 or above, underscoring the necessity for systems to prepare for an aging population. Dr. Rita Arogo of the World Health Organization emphasized that robust data on the aging population is crucial for planning services to meet their needs. \"To rethink systems, we need to think of the data first. Because if we do not count older persons appropriately, then we will not be able to take care of them,\" she stated. Dr. Lydia Atambo, Chair of the IDOP 2026 Conference Organising Committee, urged Kenya to scrutinize whether existing systems effectively address the needs of older individuals beyond mere celebration of their contributions. \"Beyond the celebration, we are asking whether the communities, systems and frameworks we have in place actually respond to their needs,\" Atambo added.\n\nShakira Khawaja, the founder of Suqoon Kenya, argued that the country must proactively prepare for longer life expectancies. \"We celebrate longevity, but are we ready for what it means in our country? We need to prepare ourselves for that,\" she said. The scientific meeting is addressing various aspects of healthy aging, such as non-communicable diseases, cognitive decline, mental health issues, infectious diseases, nutrition, frailty, mobility, elder abuse, loneliness, social isolation, digital inclusion, poverty, access to justice, family support, and social protection. The aim is to enhance integrated geriatric and gerontological care, ensuring older people have a more significant role in shaping the policies and services that impact them. Recommendations from the pre-conference will guide the broader discussions at the IDOP 2026 conference, with participants expected to propose practical measures to bolster care, policy, and support systems. These deliberations precede the International Day of Older Persons, observed globally on October 1 to honor the contributions of older people and highlight the challenges and opportunities linked to aging.",
  "summary": "NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 30 — Kenya must strengthen and better connect its health, social protection and community systems to cope with a growing older population and ensure longer lives are…",
  "key_points": [
    "Kenya's elderly population grew to 2.7 million in 2019",
    "Experts urge integration of healthcare, social, and community systems",
    "Data on aging population crucial for service planning"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}