By: Ruth Chinangwa

Malawi Network of Older Persons (MANEPO) has called on government to consider old people through the Presidential taskforce on Covid-19 to consider coming up with special preventive programs that may suit them.

Executive Director Andrew Kavala was speaking on the sidelines of the Elderly abuse awareness day which falls of the 15th of June each year with much focus on the impact of Covid-19 and neglect of the older people across the globe.

In his remarks ever since the disease was declared as a pandemic in this country government has been putting much effort in other sectors leaving behind the elderly who are equally part of the society.

He further challenged those representing the minority such as the older persons in the taskforce to consider coming up with a number of innitiaves that will help protect the elderly from contracting Coronavirus disease.

However he expressed optimism that upon the call the taskforce will take a step to address the matter.

He went on to reveal other programs that the organization has been conducting in reaching out to the people during this period of Covid-19.

He gave examples of the outreach programs such as donations of personal protective equipment such as soap, hand sanitizers face masks and water buckets which MANEPO recently conducted in the fight against the pandemic among older men and women in some parts of the country.

Kavala further expressed his dismay towards the continued abuse towards elderly in the country despite several advocacy programs that the organization has been carrying out.

He cited attacks and killings of these people that have been happening over suspicion of witchcraft.

A recent research done by the United Nations has revealed that a lot of older men and women have been subjected to various forms of abuse due to Covid-19 calamity and has since called on decision makers to develop universal standards for protection of the elderly.