• Gender and ageing

Gender and ageing

In numerous Asian countries, many older people assume multiple responsibilities in caring for relatives living with HIV/AIDS. Despite their burden, older carers remain neglected within the response to HIV and AIDS in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. In this paper, the author outlines a number of recommendations for every level of response. These include:

• at the international level: the UN should ensure that comprehensive reviews in 2008 and 2011 of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, and the 2006 Political Declaration, reflect specifically on commitments made in relation to older carers, especially women. The commitment to achieve universal access to HIV treatment, care and prevention services by 2010 must include older people

• at the national level: national governments must include older women and men in HIV prevention, care and treatment policies and responses by fulfilling commitments already made to address the needs of older people. Governments should design cost and implement social protection measures which respond to the needs of older carers, particularly older women carers who are economically disadvantaged. Microfinance institutions need to design credit facilities suitable for older people

Specific country recommendations include:

Cambodia:

• the National AIDS Authority should ensure that the current revision and extension of the National Strategic Plan (2006-2010) specifies the need to support older people in their role as carers
  

• national guidelines on HIV and AIDS programming, orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) and home-based care (HBC) should incorporate strategies for increasing support for all carers, especially older women
  

Thailand:

• the government should ensure adequate resources are allocated to implement the commitment in the National AIDS Plan (2007-2011) to support and raise awareness about affected older people, with specific attention given to older women
• the government must improve the implementation and monitoring of the Old Age Cash Allowance to ensure that poor older people, particularly those providing care to an adult child or grandchild, receive this benefit
  

Vietnam:

• the government should ensure that the role and contribution of older carers, particularly women, is acknowledged and addressed in any revisions/additions to the National Strategy and/or Law on HIV/AIDS
• the government should allocate sufficient funding in the national HIV response to ensure that family members, including older people, involved in providing care and support to adult children or grandchildren, are provided with adequate and appropriate training

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