UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA

TANZANIA PROGRESS REPORT

REVIEW AND APPRAISAL OF THE MIPAA

EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON AGING IN AFRICA

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

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 19TH – 21ST, NOVEMBER, 2007

1. INTRODUCTION

The 2002 Population and Housing Census showed that the Population of Tanzania
increased from 23.1 million in 1988 to 34.4 million in 2002. This is the average
population growth rate of 2.9 percent per annum. The male population was 49 percent
and female population was 51 percent. The population aged below 15 years was 44
percent while those aged 60 years and above was 4 percent. This indicates that Tanzania
is characterized by a young population. The population projections show that Tanzania
had a population of 37.9 million in 2006 and is expected to reach 63.5 million in 2025
with HIV AIDS epidemic. The life expectancy at birth for both sexes is expected to
increase from 51 years in 2002 to 57 years in 2025 with HIV AIDS epidemic.

The main components of population growth in any country including Tanzania are
fertility, mortality and migration. The current statistics indicated that Total Fertility rate
is 6.3 and fertility is 5.7 children per women (TDHS 2004 - 05). Net international
migration has been negligible; however, rural-urban migration is a common feature in
Tanzania. The urban population was 23.1 percent in 2002 census.

2. STAKE HOLDERS TO WORK WITH IN HELPING AGEING POPULATION

Since Ageing is a cross cutting issue, the situation of assisting ageing population with the
aim of achieving national goals of 2025 involve the Central Government, Local
Government Authorities, Voluntary Agencies, Families and Villages. The stakeholders
and their roles will be as follows;

2.1 Central Government

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• To supervise and coordinate services provided to older people
• To enact a low that protects the welfare of older people
• To ensure older people’s participation in the community
• To encourage local government authorities and voluntary agencies to take responsibility
of providing care and support to older people
• To sensitize the society on issues related to older people and their participation in
national development
• To sensitize and empower the youth on their preparation towards
responsible old age

2.2 Local Government Authorities

• To conduct older people’s needs assessment in the society
• To provide care and protection for older people in the community and institutions.
• To ensure the provision of basic needs for older people
• To involve older people in income generating activities
• To sensitize the community on issues related to older people and their participation in
the national development
• To sensitize and empower the youth on their preparation towards
old age

2.3 Families/Villages
• In collaboration with Local Government Authorities will provide care and protection to
older people
• In collaboration with Local Government Authorities and Voluntary Agencies, families
and villages will participate in income generation activities
• In collaboration with Local Government Authorities, families and villages will conduct
older people’s needs assessment

2.4 Voluntary Agencies

• In collaboration with Local Government Authorities, Voluntary Agencies will conduct
older People’s needs assessment.

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 • In collaboration with Local Government Authorities, Voluntary Agencies will ensure
the provision of basic needs to older people.
• To provide care and protection to older people in the community and institutions.
• In collaboration with Local Government, and voluntary agencies will mobilize and
incorporate older people and their families in income generating activities.
• To sensitize the community on issues related to older people and their participation in
the national development.
• In collaboration with Local Government Authorities and other stakeholders will
Sensitize and empower the youth on preparation towards old age.

3. NATIONAL AGING POLICY, 2003

3.1 Policy Review

In Tanzania, the official retirement age is 60 years. It is obvious that not all people aged
60 years are unable to work, while some people younger than 60 years are not able to
work. Being ‘old aged’ is therefore not always the same as being 60 years of age. It is
estimated (prior to full Census 2002 results) that there are 1.4 million people aged 60
years and above. This is expected to grow enormously during the coming years, reaching
8 million by 2050.

In the past, older people commanded respect and power - they controlled land and
permanent crops, and played an important role in conflict resolution. These roles are
being eroded by changes in family structure, migration, and the dominance of a culture,
which gives status to literacy and formal education, while shifting away from
communalist forms of governance.

In Tanzania, few older people have any form of pension (estimated at less than 5% of
those over 60 years) and a growing number are carers of HIV/AIDS sufferers and
orphans. Older people, and especially older women, are amongst the poorest in the
country. Poverty of the elderly often goes beyond income, and includes physical

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weaknesses, isolation, powerlessness and low self-esteem. Where rights exist (over
property and health care for example), older people often fail to claim their entitlements
because of the lack of information and appropriate structures.

The National Aging Policy, 2003 has identified areas which need to be addressed. These
include health care, income security, food security, housing and legal protection.
However, despite this policy, older people are on the margins of the Poverty Reduction
Strategy.

In everyday social life, older people are an acknowledged source of information,

knowledge and experience. In traditional life both older and young people shared
responsibilities. Whereas older people were custodians of customs and traditions,
advisers/mediators and child careers, the young people had the responsibility of providing
basic needs including food, shelter, clothing and protection. Older people in Tanzania are
of various groups that include retirees, peasants, herdsmen and fishermen. Generally, the
situation of older people in Tanzania is characterized by the following;

(a) Laws that do not protect older people

The current social and legal system does not provide adequate protection and security to
older people as a special group. Consequently, they do not receive deserving care and
older women are denied their right to own and inherit property.

(b) Older women with disabilities

Due to our culture and environment, women, people with disabilities and older people
have had un equal opportunity to participate in decision making on issues related to their
development and welfare. Whereas women have been discriminated due to their sex,
people with disabilities do not access equal opportunities to participate in securing their
own development. Moreover older people have not received the recognition they deserve,
a situation which denies their right to own and inherit property.

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(c) Older Women and incompatible traditions
Older women are more affected by old age problems. Women live longer than men that is
why there are more older women than men. Besides, older women struggle against
problems related to their gender. Furthermore older women are denied the right to inherit
and own property including land. In some areas women have been raped and killed due to
superstitious beliefs.

(d) Poverty
Economically, older people are among the poorest in the society. Various groups of older
people such as peasants, herdsmen and fishermen do not belong to any formal social
security system. Retired older people who are members of the Social Security Schemes
face problems resulting from inadequate benefits and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
Furthermore, the existing poverty reduction strategies do not include older people.

(e) Diseases
The majority of people become old with poor health due to poor life styles and poor
nutrition during their childhood; women heavy work load, and frequent pregnancies.
Prolonged diseases are a common feature among many older people. Additionally, health
services are not easily accessible to the majority of older people besides they are
expensive. Health care professionals on the other hand lack motivation and are not
adequately trained to handle older peoples’ illness.

(f) Inadequate care

The movement of young people from rural to urban centers has left the majority of older
people lonely and unprotected. Moreover HIV/AIDS pandemic has taken away lives of
the majority of young people. On the other hand older people are increasingly called
upon to care for themselves and their orphaned grand children.

(g) Weakening of traditional life

Globalization, growth of towns and the movement of people from urban to rural areas in
search of jobs have changed the formal relationship in the family and society in general.

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As a result of weakened traditional life, older people are no longer playing a vital role in
the life of the community. Consequently the young people do not show respect to older
people and often times despise them.

3.2 National Policy Statements

The Government realizes that older people are a resource in the development of our
nation. The existence of Tanzania as a nation is an evidence of older people’s
contribution in political, economic, cultural and social arena. Besides protection and care
services emphasis will be put on involving older people in national development and
incorporating them in the national development plans. The National Ageing Policy, 2003
recognizes human rights as stipulated in the Tanzanian constitution of 1977 as amended
in 1984 and 1995 respectively. Moreover the policy has taken into consideration the
United Nations Organization declaration No. 46 of 1991 on the following older peoples
rights.
• Independence
• Participation
• Care
• Self - fulfillment
• Dignity

The following Policy statements aim at providing an implementation framework, which

will facilitate improvement of older people’s life and set the aging agenda within the
national development paradigm.

(a) Health Services

Frequent and prolonged diseases are a common feature among many older people. This
condition calls for a professional care. Despite this, health services are not easily
accessible for the majority of older people and in most cases is expensive. The existing
procedure of providing free health services to older people has some shortcomings. The
majority of older people particularly in the rural areas are left out as a result of their
inability to prove that they are 60 years and above and that

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they can not afford to share the cost. In order to improve the health status of older people,
the government in collaboration with various stakeholders will ensure that;

(i) The cost sharing policy shall be revised to adjust the criteria for determining 60
years as a standard age.

(ii) Health personnel receive special training to handle older people.

(iii) There is an established mechanism for making follow up on older people’s health.

(iv) There is an established mechanism for awareness creation for older people in
HIV/AIDS pandemic and care of its victims.

(v) Older people and the public in general are sensitized/mobilized on old age health
related problems.

(b) Care of older people

The ability of the oldest old to manage themselves is either minimal or not existing. Due
to this fact the society has the responsibility of providing them with care and support.
However the family will remain the basic institution of care and support for older people.
Institutional care of older people will be the last resort. Furthermore, the government
does not expect to establish older people’s long term care institutions. In order to provide
care for older people;

(i) Families and the society in general will be mobilized/sensitized to care and support
older people.

(ii) Older people will be cared for in their respective community.

(iii) The government through Local Government and Voluntary Agencies, will continue
to provide institutional care to older people and others who have no one to care for.

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(c) Participation of Older People
The Government realizes that older people are an important resource that needs to be
taped for the development of the nation. In order to do so;

(i) A Mechanism will be put in place to ensure that older people participate in the
planning and implementation of development programmes at various levels.
(ii) Organizations and groups responsible for older people’s welfare will be dully
recognized. The government shall also encourage the formation of such new
organizations and groups.

(d) Older People’s Fund

The government recognizes older people’s potentiality in poverty reduction initiatives.
However, the same has not been translated into reality. In order to develop its utilization,
the government in collaboration with various stakeholders will establish a Revolving
Loan Fund.

(e) Income Generation

Older people are among the poorest in the society. Besides being skilled, knowledgeable
and experienced as farmers, fishermen and retired public servants, the majority of older
people go into retirement ill-prepared. In order to rectify this situation;

(i) Older people, individually or in groups, will be sensitized and mobilized in

establishing income generating activities.
(ii) Local Government Authorities and Voluntary Agencies will
incorporate older people’s groups in income generating activities.

(f)Social Security
Older people face a number of problems that include lack of savings. The existing Social
Security Scheme is designed to accommodate older people who were employed in the

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formal sector. However, the benefits they receive do not correspond to increasing living
costs. Older people in the informal sector such as peasants, fishermen and herdsmen
particularly in rural areas face a high degree of vulnerability. In order to rectify this
situation;
(i) A mechanism will be established to ensure that social security institutions direct their
services to the informal sector.
(ii) Local Government Authorities and Voluntary Agencies will sensitize older people in
the informal sector to save through Ward Banks, Primary Cooperative Societies and
Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies.
(iii) Families will be mobilized in order to participate in income raising activities.

(g) Basic needs

Old age reduces working capacity of the body thus, making many older people in both
rural and urban areas dependant. This situation is worse in low income families and
consequently the majority of older people live in destitution. In order to rectify this
situation;
(i) Local government authorities in collaboration with Voluntary Agencies will conduct
basic needs assessment for older people.
(ii) Local government authorities and voluntary agencies will develop a mechanism to
provide direct assistance to needy older people.
(iii) Families and the community will be mobilized to participate in income generating
activities in order to raise family income.

(h) Education
The 21st century is characterized by Science and Technology. Changes in Science and
Technology have led to changes in human attitude and behavior. In many societies older
people still bear the responsibility of educating communities through traditions and
customs. It is important for the community to preserve this culture as well as for older
people to live abreast with time and therefore acquire education which will enable them
cope with current demands. In order to meet the above challenges;

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(i) Older people will be sensitized on their rights and responsibilities in the family and
community.
(ii) A mechanism will be put in place to ensure that older people participate in adult
education training programmes.
(iii) A mechanism will be put in place to ensure that older people participating in income
generation receive relevant training.
(iii) Mechanisms will be put in place to ensure that young people are inculcated into good
customs and traditions.

(i) Older women and Incompatible traditions

Traditions and customs shape the life of an individual in the community. Good practices
like building a house or cultivating a farm for the needy persons, enhance cohesion and
community development. Bad practices like denying a widow the right to property
inheritance or killing of older women suspected of witchcraft, retard relationships and
community development efforts. In order to rectify this situation;
(i) The government in collaboration with stakeholders will sensitize the public to address
the challenges resulting from the bad practices mentioned above.
(ii) The government in collaboration with Local government authorities and Voluntary
Agencies will identify and protect older women suspected of witchcraft.

(j) Older Women with disabilities

Older women with disabilities lack opportunities, live in destitution and their
participation in community life is reduced. In order to improve the living conditions of
older women with disabilities;
(i) A mechanism will be put in place to identify and provide basic needs to older women
with disabilities.
(ii) A mechanism will be put in place to include older women with disabilities in income
generating activities in their respective communities.

(k) Laws that do not protect older people

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Currently, there is no specific law that is in favour of older people’s rights and
development. This being the case the government will enact a law for the same.

(l) Preparation of young people for responsible old age

Old age is a cross cutting issue. The majority of people enter old age unprepared and
hence becoming a burden to the community. There is a need for the government to
sensitize the society on the role of older people and the need for the youth to prepare
themselves for responsible old age. In order to achieve this;
(i) The government in collaboration with stakeholders will sensitize the society and youth
in particular on the stages and various old age related problems.
(ii) The government in collaboration with stakeholders will educate and establish
capacity building programmes for the youth to prepare them for responsible old age.
(iii) Ageing will be included in the civics subject syllabus.

(m) Older People’s Organizations

The government recognizes the role of voluntary agencies that render services to older
people. The government will continue to support these efforts and ensure that services
provided maintain the required standards. Currently, the registration of voluntary
agencies that provide services to older people is done by a non sector ministry which
does not have the mandate to monitor activities of these agencies. In order to rectify these
short comings;

(i) The government will set a mechanism to ensure that the registration of older people’s
organizations is done through the sector ministry.
(ii) The government will ensure that the registration of older people’s organizations does
not constitute a license to operate and that the sector ministry will provide a licence for
the same.
(iii) The government will supervise and coordinate the services rendered by voluntary
agencies to older people.

(n) Older People’s Councils

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Decisions on participatory plans for people’s development are made at the village/mtaa,
ward, district, region and national levels. The contribution of older people in such
decisions is important for the development of our nation. There is a need to establish a
mechanism that will ensure the availability of older people’s contribution on their affairs
and those of the community. In order to ensure the inclusion of older people’s voice in
such decisions, older people’s Councils will be established at village, ward, district,
region and national levels.

3.3 Current Positive Actions of Supporting Aging Population in Tanzania

As pointed out earlier, the Government recognizes the importance of the older people as
the resource and a great treasure for national development. To this end, the integration of
ageing into national poverty strategies is of great importance. The, the National Policy on
the Ageing seeks to address the problems of older people and integrate them into national
poverty strategies. The issues covered by the national policy on the ageing, which seek to
address the concerns of older people as per the Madrid International Plan of Action on
the Ageing, include;

(a) Non-governmental organizations

The national policy on ageing recognizes NGOs dealing with older people. The
government is committed to assist and cooperate fully with NGOs helping the older
people. In summary, the above expressed concerns with respect to the older people will
have to be addressed in the next PRS progress report, so as to incorporate the ageing-
poverty linkages. When the above concerns are indeed taken into account by the PRSP
and MDGs, an optimistic scenario comes in that older people-poverty linkage will be
addressed and the way forward to the problems facing the ageing will get a solution.

(b) Older women concerns

Old traditions, which do not favour older women, have been addressed by the national
policy on the ageing. The government in collaboration with other stakeholders’ wishes to
launch programmes that seek to educate people in order to eliminate old traditions,
especially those related to witchcrafts beliefs. The government, in collaboration with
District Councils and NGOs will work to protect and defend older women who are

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accused of witchcraft practices.

(c) Education
Older people, in view of societal change, should have access to education so as to face
the challenges emanating from changing technology. To achieve this:
 Older people will be educated with respect societal change.
 Adult education (literacy) will as well have to be encouraged.
 Older people engaged in group productive activities will get relevant training
related to their projects.

(d) Social Security

The current social security fund includes only part of those who are employed in the
formal sector but excludes informal sector. Furthermore, eve n the amount of pension one
receives is very little and does not enable the pensioner to maintain his standard of living.
To this end, older people engaged in the informal sector, including agriculture are the
most vulnerable. In order to reverse the trend, the national policy on the ageing
advocates:
 Inclusion of the informal sector in the National Social Security Fund (NSSF)
 District councils and non-governmental organisations to encourage older people
in the informal sector to save in community banks and primary cooperatives.
However, this has to be done before the retirement age is reached, at times within
the life cycle when people are very productive.

(e) Participation
The national policy on the ageing elaborates the rights of older people in matters
pertaining to independence, participation, care, self-fulfilment and dignity. Thus, to
achieve participation, older people will be enabled to participate in formulating policies
and strategies for the national development.

(f) Caring for the ageing

The current position of the Tanzanian Government is that care for the elderly should be

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provided within the families. There are no actual plans for institutionalising old age care,
by building so called ‘retirement homes’. In order to extent caring for the ageing, the
government intends to do the following:
 Encourage awareness in the family and the society at large with regard to their
responsibilities in taking care of the older people.
 Extending care to the ageing through the district councils.

(g) Health Services

The majority of the older people, especially in rural areas cannot afford to pay for the
health services. Thus the national policy on the ageing advocates, among other things, the
following:
 The cost sharing in the health sector should be reviewed in a way which will
enable an easier identification of people aged 60 years and above so that they
could be treated free of charge.
 Health staffs especially nurses are to be given training on how to handle the
older
people when in need of health care and health services.
 Awareness of the role of the older population with regard to HIV/AIDS, given
the
fact that they are the ones caring for the orphaned children.

3.4 Priorities for future actions on Ageing population on Tanzania

The general objective of the National Ageing Policy, 2003 is to ensure that older people
are recognized, provided with basic services and accorded the opportunity to fully
participate in the daily life of the community. The specific objectives includes;

• To recognize older people as a resource

• To create a conducive environment for the provision of basic
services to older people
• To allocate resources for older people’s income generation

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 activities and their welfare
• To empower families for sustained support to older people
• To initiate and sustain programmes that provide older people
with the opportunity to participate in economic development
initiatives
• To prepare strategies and programmes geared towards
elimination of negative attitudes and age discrimination
• To enact laws that promote and protect the welfare of older
people
• To ensure that older people receive basic health services
• To initiate programmes that will provide an opportunity for older people to sustain
good customs and traditions for the youth in the society

4. NATIONAL BUDGETS FROM AN AGE PERSPECTIVE

Although Tanzania has signed a Madrid Contract but most of the budgets did not speak
much concerning the ageing population. Only Ministry of Finance provides information
concerning pensions procedures for the retired government official. And Ministry of
Health and Social Welfare provides free health services to the ageing population but in its
budget it did not speak any thing concerning helping ageing population in Tanzania.

5. CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES FOR ACTION ON AGING POPULATION

The Tanzanian Participatory Poverty Assessment, 2003 expressed the importance of the
physical and social change on their social well-being. Physical disabilities lead to loss of
self-respect, followed by isolation and loneliness. Furthermore physical changes lead to a
reduced ability to be economically active and so, in the absence of safety nets, lead to
poverty. Decline in social status is an additional factor affecting the daily life of elderly.
A study of Help Age international, 2002 suggests that social status of the elderly is very

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 much related to the ability to make a meaningful contribution to household or
community.

5.1 Challenges
The elderly population are experiences the following problems which is a challenge to the
Government;
 Food shortage
 Problems with drinking water
 Problem to obtain adequate clothing
 Difficulty in obtaining firewood
 Lack of financial means to pay for health services Problems stated by caregivers:
 Lack of government assistance when medical treatment is needed
 Lack of local government support towards old people in terms food and housing
 Lack of security feeling among the elderly due to witchcraft accusations

Other associated problems includes:

 Diminishing importance of the traditional role of the elderly within their communities. In
the past, older people were considered to be responsible of advising the younger
generation, so that they grew up according tribal ethics and morals.
 Elderly feel the increasing need to stay economically active in order to survive.
Migration and socio-economic changes lead to diminishing active (harvesting) and also
financial support from children. Also, the economically active face a number of
problems, such as theft of money, crops and property by young people.
 An additional task for the elderly has become the care of their HIV/AIDS infected
children and eventually the care for the orphaned grandchildren.
 Lack of basic needs, which is also connected with a decline in support.
 The elderly experienced a lack of willingness by the medical staff to treat them
 Traditional healers were still found to be very popular among the elderly
As both Forrester and the Labour Force Survey show, older people are more than passive
and dependent. Especially in rural areas even at very old ages they are still active in a
range of economic activities, like farming, fishing and small businesses

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  At the death of a husband, the widow is at the risk of expropriation of assets.
 Traditional practices such as sharing produce (fisherman in coastal regions) with
elderly seem to be declining, especially in agricultural communities.

5.2 Priorities

 Ensure National budget allocation that safeguard the interest and right of older population
 Ensure that health providers know about exemptions of payment for the older Tanzanias
and deliver them good and quality services
 Ensure health budgets at local level include provision for exemptions and delivery of an
essential drugs kit for the older poor
 Provide budget information in appropriate forms at local level on health budgets and their
use
 Explore community based mechanisms to revive adult learning, including the
involvement of retired teachers as educators
 Request the Ministry of Water and Livestock development and to make improvements to
ensure access to safe water and sanitation by vulnerable groups
 Ensure that credit, legal and financial facilities are available to all persons on transparent
criteria that does not exclude older people
 Ensure information on entitlements and legal reform (such as the land act) is available in
appropriate formats, working in partnership with NGO’s which are already active on the
respective area

6. CONCLUSION
There is still a challenge to implement the Madrid International Plan of Action on ageing
2002 especially due to resource constrain, inadequate experts and mechanism to
incorporate the resolutions at all levels. Therefore, there is a need to prepare strategies,
action plans and mobilize funds that will help to improve the life of older people.

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