Public and health policy for the aged in Africa to the South of Saara.

Assunção, Marta Regina Soares de; Pinto, Susana Isabel Mendes; José, Helena Maria Guerreiro

OBJECTIVE to know the social and health responses for the elderly in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS An integrative literature review. RESULTS There is a lack of specialized health care to meet the real needs of the elderly, and the shortage of health professionals does not contribute favorably to this situation. There is a small number of facilities for the elderly and most of them are inadequate. Although there are models of care as well as social and health support policies for the elderly, there are still inequities/inequalities in access to these policies, especially for the most disadvantaged populations. CONCLUSION Social and health policies for the elderly in Sub-Saharan Africa are below standard and appropriate economic, political and social intervention is required.