The plight of the elderly in Cameroon

Without social security cover, no health insurance, even less old age pension, some people of the third age of Cameroon have found themselves in very bad conditions.

In Africa, for example millions of adults sick of AIDS are cared for at home by their parents. Their death, their children, orphans are mostly supported by their grandparents.

If it is true that the situation of impoverishment in the Cameroonian society is a non-negligible factor and 'social exclusion' of seniors, it remains no less that some qualifiers are commonly termed as sorcerers, parasites, stupid, dumb, which weakens the bond between young people and the aged.

However, several national legal provisions require the taking into account of the needs of the elderly.

These are mainly found in the Constitution which States that "the nation protects the elderly." The civil Code provides that descendants have a support obligation to the aged in society.

In addition, the Cameroonian social law includes a set of texts organising social protection of such person. But this organization is quantitatively and qualitatively inadequate, because the branch health insurance is not covered.

Social security is considered by the United Nations as a fundamental right of the human being. However, they have the opportunity to benefit from social assistance income.

The elderly not receiving any retirement benefits, and very few are aware that they can refer to social services for assistance.

In addition, the procedures for obtaining medical assistance aid are typically long. The elderly complain among others that in the Ministry of Social Affairs, there is no service responsible for seniors.

They are often sent to the Sub-Directorate for persons with disabilities. "We have therefore become disabled for our company. This is hard to believe," said one Marie-Anne following this finding.

However, according to the UN, today in the world, the number of persons aged 60 years and above is approximately 600 million. This figure will double to 2025 and reach 02 billion around 2050, the majority in developing countries.

Cameroon with almost 20 million inhabitants, the elderly (60 years and more) (5.5%) of the population of the country and more than half (55%) are women, on the occasion of the celebration of the international day of older persons this October 1, 2014, under the theme "value the opinion of the elderly", people where made aware of the importance of elders in our society, and to fight for an improvement of their living conditions.