AS the world commemorates the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) in 2023, a non-governmental organization (NGO), has called on government at different levels to prioritise policies that would protect elders from all forms of abuse.
On Thursday in Abuja, the Chief Executive Officer of the NGO, Save Our Heritage Initiative (SOHI), Ms May Ikokwu, cautioned against the abuse of elders in Nigeria, saying that the abuse of elders is morally wrong.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) Ikokwu said that “abuse causes harm or distress to an older person and families should ensure protection of elders for a dignified living.
“This type of violence constitutes a violation of human rights and includes physical, sexual, psychological and emotional abuse; financial and material abuse; abandonment; neglect.”
She said that the World Health Organisation (WHO), sees abuse of older people as a public health problem, and added that such abuses are “capable of causing serious loss of dignity and respect.”
According to NAN reports, the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organisation (WHO at the United Nations launched the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, 2006.
WEAAD is to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder.
It is also in support of the UN International Plan of Action acknowledging the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue, and serves as a call-to-action for individuals, organisations and communities to raise awareness about elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.
The theme for the 2023 events is, “Closing the Circle: Addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Older Age – Policy, Law and Evidence-based Responses.”
