The event rallied representatives from 15 Latin American countries and was sponsored by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) and several Cuban scientific bodies, including the geriatrics and gerontology associations.

14.7% of Cuba's 11 million-plus population are over 60 - a rate that is expected to double in two decades.

Cuban organizations are hard at work and already scoring results in their care of the elderly, with numerous social and healthcare programs in the field, including the Grandparents’ Homes project and a department for research on issues affecting the elderly.

The Cienfuegos seminar focused on the need for respecting the rights of older people in today’s world, rights that-the meeting concluded-should be seen as a platform for the training of staff on the field.

INPEA president Lia Susana Daichman told AIN that her organization works hard to raise awareness among younger people regarding the elderly and age-related issues, so that negative behavior towards - and stereotyped images of - one of the most vulnerable segments of the population are avoided.

She noted that this new approach extends to the field of ethics, so that people can enjoy a longer life and do so in an environment marked by dignity and the absence of exclusion from social or family life./2004

By: AIN