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Population Ageing in Ghana: a Profile and Emerging Issues

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Population Ageing in Ghana: a Profile and Emerging Issues African Population Studies Vol 25, 2 (Dec 2011) Population ageing in Ghana: a profile and emerging issues E.O. Tawiah, Ph.D Regional Institute for Population Studies University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 96, Legon, Ghana [email protected] Abstract Population ageing in Ghana is a consequence of a gradual fertility decline which is also occurring in many sub-Saharan African countries. Data from the 2005/2006 Ghana Living Standards Survey show that the percentage of the elderly (persons aged 60 years and above) has increased from 4.9 in 1960 to 5.3 in 1970, 5.8 in 1984 and 7.2 in 2000. Median age has increased from 17 years in 1970 to 18.1 years in 1984 and 19.4 years in 2000, implying a 14.1 percentage increase in 30 years. Socio-economic indicators show that elderly females are more vulnerable and disadvantaged than their male counterparts due in part to low educational attainment resulting in low female participation in the formal sector with its attendant low remuneration and inadequate retirement package. One important emerging issue is the branding of elderly females as witches and subjecting them to abuse and torture in certain parts of the country. This harmful practice infringes upon the human rights of these women and the government of Ghana should do well to abolish the witches’ camps. A large proportion of workers engaged in the informal sector of the economy do not contribute to the Social Security Scheme and this makes it extremely difficult for them to cater for their needs in old age particularly when the extended family is unable to provide sup- port and care. The government of Ghana should make strenuous efforts to bridge the gap between producing a concise National Ageing Policy and its implementa- tion. Introduction December 2004, the African Union Population ageing, a direct conse- Commission launched the Policy quence of the demographic transition, Framework and Plan of Action at a cer- began to receive increasing attention emony so as to raise awareness about with the adoption of the International the special situation, needs and welfare Plan of Action on Ageing in 1982 by the of elderly people on the continent (Eco- United Nations (UN). Since then issues nomic Commission for Africa, 2004). of population ageing have been recog- The main goal of the Policy Framework nized as important at the international, and Plan of Action is to guide African regional, sub-regional and national lev- Union Member States to design, imple- els. In July 2002, Heads of State and ment, monitor and evaluate appropri- Government of the African Union ate integrated national policies and adopted the African Policy Framework programmes to meet the individual and and Plan of Action on Ageing and in collective needs of the elderly. http://aps.journals.ac.za 623 African Population Studies Vol 25, 2 (Dec 2011) Population ageing has brought in its factors that affect living arrangements train a host of security, health, social of elderly persons in Ghana and else- and economic consequences ranging where (Mba, 2007; Mba, 2002; United from high demands on welfare and Nations, 2005). Elderly men in Ghana social needs to changes in family struc- are more likely to live in nuclear house- ture. In addition, Ghana like most sub- holds, while older women are more Saharan African countries, has also to likely to live in extended family house- combat long standing problems related holds (Mba, 2007). to education, health, poverty and The age-old compact extended employment which remain largely un- family system in Ghana and elsewhere resolved. Persisting economic crisis in sub-Saharan Africa ensured that the afflicting most sub-Saharan African elderly are cared for by the younger countries is adding to the financial bur- members of the family. It was like the den of older people thereby making modern social security system. It ob- them more vulnerable. The problem of liged its members to assist each other in population ageing has been heightened times of crises and share the achieve- particularly because it is taking place ments and glory that its members bring with neither a comprehensive formal (Apt, 1993). Elderly persons have social security system nor a well-func- depended on the younger generation tioning traditional care system in place for financial, social and health care sup- for elderly people (National Research port. It has been pointed out that tradi- Council, 2006). It is worth echoing Gro tional source of support is dwindling in Harlem Brundtland’s main Assembly the face of ever-growing numbers of statement at the Second World Assem- the elderly (Apt, 1996). The wind of bly on Ageing in 2002, that “While modernization, migration and urbaniza- developed countries grew affluent tion is partly responsible for the gradual before they became old, developing changeover from extended to nuclear countries are growing old before they family, resulting in shifting a greater part get affluent … While in Europe we have of the burden of providing care to the seen the demographic shift towards an elderly on the nuclear family, which is older population take place gradually somewhat ill-prepared to shoulder the over a period of a century, the pace of responsibility. Apt (1993) lists some the shift taking place in the developing social and economic conditions which countries far outstrips these countries’ influence the ability of the nuclear fam- socio-economic development”. It ily to provide adequate care to the eld- needs to be stressed also that popula- erly, namely limited financial resources, tion ageing is the positive result of two rising cost of living in urban areas, victories that humanity has sought for unemployment and underemployment. centuries and is still seeking, namely the Coping with old age has been a victory over unwanted births and that major challenge particularly to elderly over premature deaths (Golini, 2004). women who have been subjected to The challenges facing the elderly abuse, human rights violation, neglect, are legion. Several studies have exam- marginalization, disrespect, exploita- ined demographic and socio-economic tion, violence and destitution (Apt, 624 http://aps.journals.ac.za African Population Studies Vol 25, 2 (Dec 2011) 1993; Mba, 2007; Ferreira and Lind- 2009). gren, 2008). The increasing incidence of Population ageing in Ghana has superstition and some traditional beliefs been brought about mainly by a reduc- and practices have effectively combined tion in fertility rates and improvement to worsen the lot of the elderly. Using in survival rates due to medical inter- case study data, Apt (1993) reports that ventions based on the use of advanced the traditional belief among a certain technology and drugs. Ghana’s total fer- community in the Upper West region of tility rate has declined from 6.47 in Ghana that the closest grandchild dies 1979/80 to 4.0 in 2008 (Ghana Statisti- almost immediately after the grandpar- cal Service and Ghana Health Service, ent’s death has immense influence on 2009). Increasing longevity also contrib- the care and attention given to elderly utes to population ageing. The male life people in this community. The practice expectancy estimated for the period of accusing an elderly woman of being a 2010-2015 is to increase from 57.1 witch often results in stigmatization and years to 67.5 years in 2045-2050. The banishment as a witch, poverty, malnu- corresponding figures for females are trition and desertion by her family. The 59.0 years and 70.5 years and 58.0 accused witch is left to her own devices years and 69.0 for both sexes combined and her children and other family mem- (United Nations, 2009). bers feel justified in being absolved of The objectives of this paper are to their responsibilities of providing care (i) analyse the situation of the elderly, and other kinds of help. (ii) identify some emerging issues and The population of Africa is in transi- (iii) propose some possible policy res- tion to the ageing process. With declin- ponses/options for dealing with prob- ing fertility and mortality, it is estimated lems of population ageing. that Africa will be one of the continents with the fastest growing elderly popula- Data sources tion in the world during the period The analyses are based on the 1960, 1998 to 2050 (Kalasa, 2001). Although 1970, 1984 and 2000 Ghana population persons aged 60 years and above are a census reports, Ghana Living Standards small proportion of the total population Survey 5 (GLSS 5) conducted in 2005/ in most sub-Saharan African countries, 2006 and secondary data from relevant 4.8 percent in 2005 (United Nations, national and international publications. 2005), the number of older people is The censuses collected basic demo- growing. In 2005, there were 34 million graphic and socio-economic data which people aged 60 years and above in sub- permit analysis of the age-sex structure Saharan Africa and this number is pro- of the population of Ghana. GLSS 5 jected to increase to over 67 million by covered a nationally representative 2030 (Velkoff and Kowal, 2006). The sample of 8,687 households in 580 enu- medium variant projections of the meration areas with 37,128 household United Nations for sub-Saharan Africa members. It has two household ques- indicate an increase in median age from tionnaires (Parts A and B). The Part A 18.6 years in 2010 to 27.2 years in household questionnaire which has 2050, a 46% increase (United Nations, seven sections collected information on http://aps.journals.ac.za 625 African Population Studies Vol 25, 2 (Dec 2011) household roster, education, health, Ghana which states that “A public employment and time use, migration, officer shall, except as otherwise pro- domestic and outbound tourism and vided in this Constitution, retire from housing.
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