Elderly required to wear face masks

COVID-19 |INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR OLDER PERSONS

October 1 is International Day for Older Persons. The government is set to come out with stricter rules to support older persons. These include those who are 80 years and above.

Government has revised the methods it will use to give out money to older persons to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

The minister of state for disability and elderly affairs,  Sarah Kanyike told the media in Kampala that the Social  Assistance Grants  Empowerment  (SAGE), the programme put in place  to provide resources  to elders had  been  interrupted  by the COVID-19 lockdown. 

The minister said this in a message to mark the International Day for Older Persons. The United Nations General Assembly has designated October 1 as the Day for Older Persons.

Kanyike said the ministry has just completed the national rollout of the grant. The programme is now present in all the 135 districts including Kampala Capital City. Each elderly person gets sh25,000 monthly to enable them to meet some basic needs.

She said  the  ministry  is  going  to  reach  out  to older  persons  who  missed  out  on  the  mass enrolment  and could  not  access  the  grant. 

She explained that through the home based enrolment exercise currently ongoing every older person will be reached and served.

In line with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health, the scheme  has  reworked  its  registration  and  payment processes  to  ensure  that  older  persons  receive  their  grants without   being   exposed   to   the   risk of contracting the coronavirus.

Accordingly, when older persons come for these payments they are expected to observe the following requirements; Come wearing face masks, observe social distancing and avoid congregating, wash hands with   soap on site and take temperature measurements. 

The payments will support older persons to cope with the impacts of the lockdown.

Ugandans  will  join  the  rest  of  the world to commemorate this day under the theme "Upholding the Rights of Older Persons during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Call for  Action."

This year's commemoration will be scientific in nature due to COVID 19. The day will be commemorated at State House Entebbe.