NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 30 — Kenya must strengthen and better connect its health, social protection and community systems to cope with a growing older population and ensure longer lives are matched by health, dignity and independence, experts have said. Health experts, researchers, policymakers, practitioners and older persons meeting in Nairobi warned that ageing cannot be treated solely as a medical issue, with older people increasingly facing multiple and overlapping challenges including non-communicable diseases (NCDs), dementia, mental health conditions, mobility limitations, malnutrition, abuse and social isolation. The discussions were held at the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) during the International Day of Older Persons (IDOP) 2026 Scientific Pre-Conference ahead of the main conference scheduled for October 1–2. Kenya’s 2019 Population and Housing Census recorded about 2.7 million people aged 60 years and above, highlighting the need for systems to prepare for an ageing population. Dr Rita Arogo of the World Health Organization said better data on older people would be critical to planning services capable of meeting their needs. “To rethink systems, we need to think of the data first. Because if we do not count older persons appropriately, then we will not be able to take care of them,” Arogo said.She said improved data would also enable Kenya to adjust its...
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