Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa : Recommendations for Furthering Research

In sub-Saharan Africa, older people make up a relatively small fraction of the total population and are supported primarily by family and other kinship networks.

They have traditionally been viewed as repositories of information and wisdom, and are critical pillars of the community but as the HIV/AIDS pandemic destroys family systems, the elderly increasingly have to deal with the loss of their own support while absorbing the additional responsibilities of caring for their orphaned grandchildren. Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa explores ways to promote U.S. research interests and to augment the sub-Saharan governments' capacity to address the many challenges posed by population aging.

Five major themes are explored in the book such as the need for a basic definition of "older person," the need for national governments to invest more in basic research and the coordination of data collection across countries, and the need for improved dialogue between local researchers and policy makers. This book makes three major recommendations: 1) the development of a research agenda 2) enhancing research opportunity and implementation and 3) the translation of research findings. Table of ContentsFront MatterExecutive SummaryPart I: Report -- 1.

Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Recommendationsfor Furthering ResearchReferencesPart II: Papers -- 2.

Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: The ChangingDemography of the Region3.

Demographic Impacts of the HIV Epidemic and Consequences ofPopulation-wide Treatment of HIV for the Elderly: Results fromMicrosimulation4.

The HIV/AIDS Epidemic, Kin Relations, Living Arrangements, andthe Elderly in South Africa. 5. Older Adults and the Health Transition in Agincourt, Rural SouthAfrica: New Understanding, Growing Complexity6.

The Situation of Older People in Poor Urban Settings: The Caseof Nairobi, Kenya7.

Labor Force Withdrawal of the Elderly in South Africa8.

HIV/AIDS and Older People in South Africa9. Interactions Between Socioeconomic Status and LivingArrangements in Predicting Gender-Specific Health Status Among theElderly in Cameroon10.

Survey Measures of Health: How well do Self-Reported andObserved Indicators Measure Health and Predict Mortality?Appendix A Workshop AgendaAppendix B About the Contributors