Journal of Palliative Care & Medicine
Open Access

Abstract

Objective: To highlight the challenges and opportunities in the reported statistics of diseases and deaths among the elderly population of Tanzania. Methods: A rapid appraisal of available gaps from known facts and figures targeting the elderly cohort of Tanzania. Findings: The proportion of people aged 60 years and above almost doubled (5.2% (2010) vs. 2.9% (in 2000), p<0.01) between two consecutive national censuses. Furthermore, life expectancy at birth rose from 50 (in early 1990ΓΆΒ?Β?s) to 61 years in 2010. There is no evidence of any concrete policy on elderly care in Tanzania. There is scanty evidence of elderly research in Tanzania. The few available elderly population morbidity & mortality statistics of Tanzania were derived from hospital based data. Conclusion: There is palpable evidence that the elderly segment is rapidly growing in the population pyramid of Tanzania. Recommendations: There is a need for reliable and sustainable resource allocation in support for elderly care services in Tanzania.

Biography

Kelvin M Leshabari is a Medical Doctor with interest in Clinical Research. Specifically his research interests are on biological mechanisms of ageing as well as geriatric endocrinology/geriatric cardiology. He trained in Medicine and graduated MD degree in 2008. Thereafter he was a fellow in clinical research at different centres in Belgium and the Netherlands. He received his MSc degree from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands in 2015. He is the Principal Investigator of Cardiometabolic Risk Treatment & Prevention Intervention and Surveillance programme in Tanzania (CRISTA).

E-mail: celsius_lx@yahoo.co.uk