The Republic of Moldova should better promote active aging and should strengthen relations between the young and the elderly so as to increase the social cohesion between different categories of citizens. A National Platform of Senior Volunteers and a Volunteer Club 60 Plus based in Chisinau were launched to implement the Principle of Active Aging in the social sphere, IPN reports.
Aliona Crețu, head of the Demographic Policies Service of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, in the launch said a program of measures and actions for 2018-2021 is being implemented to improve the situation of the elderly so that these are not discriminated and marginalized. The experience of the states that involved the elderly in the social life shows that benefits for the economy are generated this way. “In many states, volunteering among the elderly people is very developed. We want this to happen in our country too,” stated Aliona Crețu.
UNFPA Moldova Assistant Representative Natalia Plugaru said the structure of the population of Moldova changes owing to migration, low fertility and low life expectancy. Programs to develop the potential of the elderly and support measures that would create opportunities for these to spend their leisure time beneficially are needed.
Ian Feldman, chairman of the National Council for Prevention and Elimination of Discrimination and Ensuring the Equality, said the phenomenon of discrimination on grounds of age and the status of pensioner expands in Moldova. “In the Republic of Moldova, the elderly represent 20% of the population. This percentage will grow and we should learn to live with the thought that these people should be integrated into society,” he stated.
According to the statistics presented in the launch, there were over 550,000 people aged 60 and over in Moldova at the start of 2019. This is 20.8% of the population. It is anticipated that the elderly in 2050 will constitute 1/3 of the population.
Volunteer Clubs 60 Plus were earlier founded in Budești commune of the municipality of Chisinau and in the towns of Comrat, Criuleni and Bălți.
