The School of Social Work of the Addis Ababa University staged a half day stakeholders meeting on older adults at the Senate Hall on November 25, 2016. The meeting was scheduled as part of the standing collaboration with the School of Social Work at Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Austria through a preparatory funding from the Austrian Partnership Programme in Higher Education and Research for Development (APPEAR).

Themed ‘Enhancing academic engagement on older adults in Ethiopia the discussion entertained views, research engagements, plans and perspectives regarding the way forward to improving the lives of old aged people in Ethiopia.

“Unless we engage in problem solving research and community service, we cannot survive as an institute,” said AAU President Admasu Tsegaye (Ph.D.) while speaking on the occasion. “Through research engagement, we must produce ideas that can be used as inputs for policy makers and crack the community’s predicament,” added the AAU President.

The discussion featured three paper presentations which evidently provided detailed information on the vulnerability of older adults. Sisay Seyoum of HelpAge International, in his presentation entitled “Exchange information/data on the vulnerability of older adults and measures taken so far,” revealed the prevalence of problems like income, health service, malnutrition and social segregation.

He also pointed out that such demographic trends are highly increasing; underlining the mandatory nature of research engagement for policy adjustment in order to provide protection for the voiceless, old aged adults.

The round table discussion also deliberated on measures to mitigate existing problems and identify ways forward. Legal framework, national plan of action, national social protection policy and establishment of older person coalition are areas to be considered to provide protection and improve the lives of old adults.

Various scholars from government offices, NGOs and universities attended the event.