Malawi Faces Aging Population Challenge, Experts Call for Proactive Measures
The proportion of people aged 60 or more is expected to rise from 5% to 9% by 2050, meaning one in every 11 Malawians will be elderly.
NKHATA BAY, Malawi — Malawi is bracing for a significant increase in its elderly population, with experts calling for proactive measures to support this demographic shift, writes Tionge Hara.
Goodwill Thunga, Technical Lead for Programs at the Malawi Network of Older Persons' Organizations (MANEPO), cited projections based on the 2018 census.
"The estimated number of older people as of 2024 is over a million," Thunga said.
"This is projected to grow to around 2.8 million in 2050."
The proportion of people aged 60 or more is expected to rise from 5% to 9% by 2050, meaning one in every 11 Malawians will be elderly.
Thunga praised the Catholic Church's initiatives to address elderly issues through organizations like Cardicom and CCJP.
He urged other religious institutions to follow suit, emphasizing the church's extensive reach in Malawian society.
"If churches take up these initiatives, it will change things for the better for older people in Malawi," Thunga said.
While acknowledging progress, such as the enactment of the older persons law, Thunga stressed the importance of prevention over reaction.
"What is important for us is these preventive approaches where we start engaging people so that they don't get to the point of abusing older people," he said.
Martha Kachali Vumbwe, 67, a trainer in the program, expressed gratitude for the initiative.
"As one of the elderly people, I feel bad seeing them being abused and accused of witchcraft just because of age," Vumbwe said.
"This training will help us teach others good things concerning the elderly."
The experts emphasized the need for national mechanisms to support the aging population and prevent elder abuse.