Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) is moving ahead with plans to launch the Centre for Healthy Ageing (CEFHA), placing it structurally within the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences in the College of Health Sciences (COHES).

The landmark initiative, a first for any African university, is a partnership with Kenya’s State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizens Affairs under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, with its primary goal being the tackling of critical challenges affecting the elderly, such as abuse and health complications.

The goal of establishing a Centre for Healthy Ageing at JKUAT was mooted during a joint meeting between key stakeholders from JKUAT and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection where they met to share vital perspectives on advancing this objective.

According to CEPHA senior lecturer and Epidemiologist in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Dr Daniel Nyamongo, ageing has become a critical issue that needs to be addressed and the centre plans to achieve this through research, training and partnership with related stakeholders.

“We are currently facing a major global demographic shift that has been brought about by advances in the medical and public health fields that have significantly increased life expectancy rates that are now averaging 80 years globally. Simultaneously lower fertility rates are steadily reducing the youth proportion of the population.”

“Furthermore, rural to urban migration necessitated by the fact that development resources are centred in urban areas has left many older adults isolated and neglected in the countryside often with limited access to age friendly infrastructure like proper housing, healthcare and road networks,” he explained.

Mr. Peter Ochieng, the Ministry’s Director for Social Development, endorsed JKUAT’s strategy of assembling a multidisciplinary team to tackle the escalating national priority of ageing. He called the effort timely, stressing its role in enabling a smoother transition into post-retirement life.

“It’s crucial we prepare for the health and social needs of our aging population. The focus is shifting. While we once prioritised infectious diseases associated with ageing, recent evidence-based research demonstrates this view is quickly becoming outdated,” Ochieng noted.

He commended the valuable expertise generated by JKUAT’s extensive research into senior affairs, highlighting the fact that it directly mirrored the Ministry’s strategic objectives.

The MOU to establish the initiative is set for finalization in two weeks. This will create a crucial base for geriatrics and gerontology training – courses necessary for elderly care that are notably absent from African university health programs, despite the rapidly growing older population.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Hellen Lunalo