Jakarta,
Dec 4, 2012 (ANTARA) - With the world's fifth largest population of elderly
people, numbering some 23 million, Indonesia needs to have
senior-friendly cities.
"None of Indonesia's cities are suitable enough for elderly people,
whether it be in the form of transportation means, elevators or building
facilities," Social Affairs Minister Salim Segaf Al Jufri said recently
during a meeting on senior citizen issues.
Since
Indonesia does not have any senior-friendly cities, the minister called
for the establishment of cities that are suitable for the elderly.
At
the meeting, he expressed hope that the participants would agree on
implementing a pilot project on senior-friendly cities.
"I cannot imagine how the elderly manage when they have to take a train
from Bogor to Jakarta. That is because the facilities available in
these trains are not suitable for them," Al Jufri added.
Trains from suburban areas such as Bogor and Bekasi to Jakarta are notorious for being extremely crowded.
The ageing population in Indonesia has been increasing rapidly - from
14.4 million in the year 2000 (7.18 percent of the nation's total
population) to 18.04 million (9.6 percent) in 2010. At present, it is 23
million.
By
2020, the population of senior citizens in the country will reach 28.9
million, which means that it will have doubled over a period of two
decades, according to the minister.
This
is mainly because life expectancy has risen sharply, to nearly 70 years
for women and 65 for men, and further improvements are expected.
The United Nations had predicted that the percentage of Indonesians
over the age of 60 would increase from 7-8 percent of the total
population in 2002 to 13 percent in 2025. The figure may even reach 25
percent in 2050, which means Indior would have nearly 74 million elderly
people.
"The population of senior citizens in Indonesia is the fourth largest in Asia," Al Jufri stated.
"The rapid growth of the elderly population poses a number of
challenges, such as inadequate healthcare services, lack of welfare
services, and a legal framework that often does not specifically address
elderly people," he pointed out.
According to Al Jufri, nearly half of the 23 million elderly people in
Indonesia are not adequately taken care of. The country currently has
2.9 million senior citizens who have been abandoned.
Most
of the country's senior citizens live in rural areas, under poor
social, economic and health conditions. Several provinces have a
greater number of elderly people than the national average, and
Yogyakarta has the largest elderly population in the country.
"However,
the government has allocated Rp145 billion to the care of abandoned
elderly people, which is actually adequate for only 44,441 people," Al
Jufri said.
Indonesia observed the National Day for Elderly People in Jakarta on
May 29, with a function led by First Lady Ani Yudhoyono, who stated that
elderly people were not a burden on the public.
"On the contrary, they are an asset to the community, considering their
contribution to national development," she said.
The theme for this year`s celebration of the National Day for Elderly
People was "The Elderly Care for the Promotion of Harmony among Three
Generations".
According to Law No. 13/1998 on the Welfare of Elderly People, those
above 60 years of age are categorised as elderly citizens.
The
government, through the health ministry, has been considering the
creation of cities that have policies and facilities suitable for the
elderly people.
"Examples
of cities that are friendly to senior citizens are Sukabumi (West Java
province) and Payakumbuh (West Sumatra province)," said Dr RM Nugroho
Abikusno, from the National Commission for Elderly People, during a
meeting held at the health ministry in April.
Most Indonesian cities, however, are currently far from being suitable
for senior citizens, according to Nugroho, who is also the chairman of
the Indonesia Research on Ageing Population Network (InResAge).
The
United Nations estimates that the number of elderly people (60 and
above) will double from the current 600 million to 1.2 billion by 2025,
and is likely to reach 2 billion by 2050. The vast majority of older
people live in their homes and communities, but in an environment that
is not in keeping with their needs and capacities.
To support governments in developing and strengthening health and
social policies in an ageing world, the World Health Organization (WHO)
released a Policy Framework on Active Ageing in 2002.
"Making
cities age-friendly is one of the most effective policy approaches for
responding to demographic ageing. One of the reasons for focusing on
cities is that major urban centres have the economic and social
resources to make changes to become more age-friendly and can thus lead
the way for other communities within their countries," the WHO said on
its official website.
"In
an age-friendly community, policies, services and structures related to
the physical and social environment are designed to support and enable
older people to `age actively' - that is, to live in security, enjoy
good health and continue to participate fully in society," it stated.
Public
and commercial settings and services are made accessible to accommodate
varying levels of ability, and anticipate and respond flexibly to
aging-related needs and preferences.
A senior-friendly city is one that enables older people to remain active and engaged within their communities.
Based
on the results of the WHO Global Age-Friendly Cities project
consultation in 33 cities in 22 countries, essential age-friendly city
features include clean and pleasant public areas; sufficient green
spaces and outdoor seating; well-maintained, non-slip, and safe
pavements; and pedestrian crossings that are sufficient in number and
are safe for people with different levels and types of disability, with
nonslip markings, visual and audio cues and adequate crossing times.
In light of the abovementioned criteria, Indonesia's cities are still far from being friendly to the elderly. ***3***
(f001/INE/a014)
(f001/INE/a014)
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