Older people need access to healthcare

The health programme of Kwa Wazee tries to cover various areas of care, prevention and access to health facilities.

Within their neighbourhood groups older people can give themselves support in case of sickness. For example they bring food, collect water or firewood and they provide important social support. If a group financially supports a member – for example for medication, treatment or transport – they get refunded by Kwa Wazee up to a certain extent.

Members of the mutual support groups are trained as health assistants to promote prevention in their groups. Exercises to strenghten the mobility are part of it as well as for example instructions on clean water, moskito nets and the use of affordable natural medication.

Violence against older people – robbery, rape or attacks for alleged witchcraft – are quite common in Tanzania and also occur in the area. As response to this Kwa Wazee introduced special workshops on self defense. The regular trainings increase the physical agility and boost the selfconfidence of the participants. Part of a wider protection of older people is the sensitization of neighbourhood and authorities.

An important part of the advocacy efforts of Kwa Wazee aim to improve the access of older people to health facilities and to make sure that they benefit of the cost exemptions which are promised by the Government.

Since a few years - at the intervention of Kwa Wazee - a mobile eye clinic regularly stops in the villages for checks and provides eyedrops or glasses. Over a hundred older people had their eyes operated - usually catarct - at the regional hospital. Kwa Wazee covers the costs.