July 31, 2024.- With the organization and technical assistance of the Subregional Headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in Mexico (ECLAC), specialists from Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama and the Dominican Republic presented to the authorities of the Ministry of Public Health of Cuba how their countries have expanded the coverage of care services for the elderly to the non-state sector of the economy.
During the workshop “Exchange on Legal and Administrative Challenges in the Non-State Management of Care for Older Persons”, Jorge Mario Martínez, ECLAC’s officer in charge in Mexico, explained that the increase in life expectancy and the decrease in birth rates have resulted in a growing proportion of older persons, so this demographic change presents economic, social and health challenges that require an urgent and coordinated response.
“Changes in family structures, migration patterns and the increasing participation of women in the workforce have reduced the capacity of families to provide this care. This reality demands greater state intervention to fill the resulting gap,” warned Martínez.
“Cuba deserves special attention because, unlike other countries in the region, it has a long history of state presence in long-term care. The current challenge for Cuba lies in expanding the coverage of existing services, gradually incorporating the non-state sector of the economy,” he added.
The Cuban delegation was made up of Admi Valhuerdi, member of the Government Commission for the Attention of Demographic Dynamics; Dagmara Cejas, Director of the Legal Department of the Ministry of Public Health; Alberto Fernández, Head of the Department of Senior Citizens, Social Assistance and Mental Health of the Ministry of Public Health, and Caridad Medina, specialist doctor of the Ministry of Public Health.
The workshop organized by ECLAC was held on July 30 and 31 in Mexico City and included presentations by specialists and officials from Costa Rica, who addressed the legal aspects of non-state management of care for the elderly; El Hogar de Cristo from Chile, who presented its community approach; and members of the National Council for the Elderly (CONAPE) from the Dominican Republic, who shared their strategies to promote and expand care services for the elderly. The Ministry of Social Development of Panama presented its policies and programs, and representatives from Guatemala presented the situation of the elderly in care centers.
Officials from the Institute for Dignified Aging (INED) of the Government of Mexico City explained the benefits and challenges of a collaborative model with non-state entities and organized a visit to long-term care residences in Mexico City.
Add Comment