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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2006. Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Recommendations for Furthering Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11708.
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Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa

Recommendation for Furthering Research

Panel on Policy Research and Data Needs to Meet the Challenge of Aging in Africa

Barney Cohen and Jane Menken, Editors

Committee on Population

Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2006. Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Recommendations for Furthering Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11708.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was supported by Contract No. N01-OD-4-2139, TO#119 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Aging. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

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Suggested citation: National Research Council. (2006). Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Recommendations for Furthering Research. Panel on Policy Research and Data Needs to Meet the Challenge of Aging in Africa. Barney Cohen and Jane Menken, Eds. Committee on Population, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2006. Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Recommendations for Furthering Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11708.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

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The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.


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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2006. Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Recommendations for Furthering Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11708.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2006. Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Recommendations for Furthering Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11708.
×

PANEL ON POLICY RESEARCH AND DATA NEEDS TO MEET THE CHALLENGE OF AGING IN AFRICA

JANE MENKEN (Chair),

Institute of Behavioral Science and Department of Sociology, University of Colorado

ALEX EZEH,

African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya

EDWELL KASEKE,

School of Social Work, University of Zimbabwe

BARTHÉLÉMY KUATE-DEFO,

Department of Demography, University of Montreal, Canada

DAVID LAM,

Department of Economics, University of Michigan

ALBERTO PALLONI,

Department of Sociology, Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin at Madison

STEPHEN TOLLMAN,

School of Public Health, University of theWitwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

ROBERT J. WILLIS,

Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan

BARNEY COHEN, Director, Committee on Population

ANTHONY S. MANN, Senior Project Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2006. Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Recommendations for Furthering Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11708.
×

COMMITTEE ON POPULATION

KENNETH W. WACHTER (Chair),

Department of Demography, University of California, Berkeley

ANNE C. CASE,

Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University, New Jersey

EILEEN M. CRIMMINS,

Department of Sociology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles

BARBARA ENTWISLE,

Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina

JOSHUA R. GOLDSTEIN,

Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University, New Jersey

BARTHÉLÉMY KUATE-DEFO,

Department of Demography, University of Montreal

CYNTHIA B. LLOYD,

Policy Research Division, Population Council, New York

THOMAS W. MERRICK,

Center for Global Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC

RUBÉN G. RUMBAUT,

Department of Sociology and Center for Research on Immigration, Population, and Public Policy, University of California, Irvine

ROBERT J. WILLIS,

Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan

BARNEY COHEN, Director

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2006. Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Recommendations for Furthering Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11708.
×

Acknowledgments

This report adds to the empirical and conceptual knowledge of the situation of older people in sub-Saharan Africa and makes practical suggestions for further research in this area. The report is based on a workshop organized by the Committee on Population in collaboration with the Health and Population Division, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, in July 2004. The report draws on a number of papers commissioned for the workshop, on the comments made by a panel of distinguished discussants, and on the discussion by workshop participants.

Many people made generous contributions to the workshop’s success. We are grateful to our colleagues, Alex Ezeh, Edwell Kaseke, Barthélémy Kuate-Defo, David Lam, Alberto Palloni, Stephen Tollman, and Robert Willis, who served on the panel that was charged with organizing the workshop and preparing a document that outlined the priority research areas in relation to aging in sub-Saharan Africa. Belinda Bezzoli, deputy vice-chancellor for research of the University of the Witwatersrand, and Richard Suzman, of the National Institute on Aging, supported the planning of the workshop and participated throughout. We are also especially grateful to the various authors and discussants who prepared papers or presentations in advance of the meeting: Mary Amuyunzu-Nyamongo, African Population and Health Research Center; Ayaga Bawah, Navrongo Health Research Center; Peter Byass, Umeå University; Samuel Clark, University of Colorado at Boulder and University of Washington; Gloria Chepngeno, University of Southampton; Mark Collinson, University of the Witwatersrand; Myles Connor, University of the Witwatersrand; Rob Dorrington, Univer-

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sity of Cape Town; Alex Ezeh, African Population and Health Research Center; James Fairburn, University of KwaZulu-Natal; Michel Garenne, French Institute for Research and Development (IRD); Victoria Hosegood, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; Gillian Hundt, University of Warwick; Kathleen Kahn, University of the Witwatersrand; Benoit Kalasa, United Nations Population Fund; Edwell Kaseke, University of Zimbabwe; Abdhalah Ziraba Kasiira, African Population and Health Research Center; Paul Kowal, World Health Organization; Barthélémy Kuate-Defo, University of Montreal; Rodreck Mupedziswa, University of the Witwatersrand; Randall Kuhn, University of Colorado at Boulder; David Lam, University of Michigan; Murray Leibbrandt, University of Cape Town; Frances Lund, University of KwaZulu-Natal; M. Giovanna Merli, University of Wisconsin; Tavengwa Nhongo, HelpAge International; Alberto Palloni, University of Wisconsin; Karen Peachey, consultant; Dorrit Posel, University of KwaZulu-Natal; M. Omar Rahman, Independent University, Bangladesh; Vimal Ranchhod, University of Michigan; Kalanidhi Subbarao, The World Bank; Negussie Taffa-Wordofa, African Population and Health Research Center; Ian M. Timaeus, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; Margaret Thorogood, University of Warwick; Stephen Tollman, University of the Witwatersrand; Eric Udjo, Human Sciences Research Council; Servaas van der Berg, University of Stellenbosch; Victoria Velkoff, U.S. Census Bureau; Robert Willis, University of Michigan; Martin Wittenberg, University of Cape Town; and Zewdu Woubalem, African Population and Health Research Center.

The Committee on Population was extremely fortunate to be able to enlist the help and cooperation of the staff and faculty of the Health and Population Division, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Particular thanks are due to Stephen Tollman for his invaluable assistance facilitating the meeting and to Dereshni Ramnarain for her assistance in ensuring that the meeting ran smoothly and successfully.

In Washington, DC, several members of the staff of the National Academies made significant contributions to the report. We thank Kirsten Sampson Snyder for her help guiding the report through review, Christine McShane for her skillful editing, and Yvonne Wise for managing the production process. The project took place under the general direction of Jane L. Ross and Barney Cohen. On behalf of the panel, we thank them for their efforts.

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making the published

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2006. Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Recommendations for Furthering Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11708.
×

report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.

We wish to thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of the report: Ronald Angel, Department of Sociology, University of Texas at Austin; Channing Arndt, Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University; Yael Benyamini, School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University; Peter Byass, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University; Benjamin Campbell, Department of Anthropology, Boston University; David Canning, Department of Population and International Health, Harvard School of Public Health; Julia Dayton, consultant; Gary V. Engelhardt, Center for Policy Research, Syracuse University; Bibi Essama, Westat; Monica Ferreira, The Albertina and Walter Sisulu Institute of Ageing in Africa, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Gary Fields, Department of Economics, Cornell University; Kathleen Ford, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan; Lucy Gilson, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand; Mark Gorman, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, HelpAge International; William T.S. Gould, Department of Geography, University of Liverpool; Ellen Idler, Institute for Health, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey; Benoit Kalasa, advisor, United Nations Population Fund; Peter Lloyd-Sherlock, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of East Anglia; Monde Makiwane, Child, Youth, Family and Social Development, Human Sciences Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa; Douglas L. Miller, Department of Economics, University of California, Davis; Akim Mturi, School of Development Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal; Sendhil Mullainathan, Department of Economics, Harvard University; Laura Rudkin, Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas; Joshua Salomon, Department of Population and International Health, Harvard University; Gigi Santow, independent researcher; Doreen Tempo, Department of Social Policy and Social Work, University of Oxford; Joseph R. Troisi, II, Department of Psychology, Saint Anselm College; Etienne van de Walle, Department of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania; Stig Wall, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University; Alan Whiteside, Health Economics and HIV/AIDS Research Division, University of KwaZulu-Natal; Alun Williams, Centre for Human Ageing, University of Queensland, Australia; Martin Wittenberg, School of Economics, University of Cape Town; Zewdu Woubalem, African Population and Health Research Center; and Zachary Zimmer, Policy Research Division, Population Council.

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2006. Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Recommendations for Furthering Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11708.
×

or recommendations nor did they see the final draft of the report before release. The review of this report was overseen by Allan G. Hill, Department of Population and International Health, Harvard School of Public Health. Appointed by the National Research Council, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final context of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

Jane Menken, Chair

Panel on Policy Research and Data Needs to Meet the Challenge of Aging in Africa

Barney Cohen, Director

Committee on Population

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2006. Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Recommendations for Furthering Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11708.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2006. Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Recommendations for Furthering Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11708.
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5

 

Older Adults and the Health Transition in Agincourt, Rural South Africa: New Understanding, Growing Complexity
Kathleen Kahn, Stephen Tollman, Margaret Thorogood, Myles Connor, Michel Garenne, Mark Collinson, and Gillian Hundt

 

166

6

 

The Situation of Older People in Poor Urban Settings: The Case of Nairobi, Kenya
Alex C. Ezeh, Gloria Chepngeno, Abdhalah Ziraba Kasiira, and Zewdu Woubalem

 

189

7

 

Labor Force Withdrawal of the Elderly in South Africa
David Lam, Murray Leibbrandt, and Vimal Ranchhod

 

214

8

 

HIV/AIDS and Older People in South Africa
Victoria Hosegood and Ian M. Timaeus

 

250

9

 

Interactions Between Socioeconomic Status and Living Arrangements in Predicting Gender-Specific Health Status Among the Elderly in Cameroon
Barthélémy Kuate-Defo

 

276

10

 

Survey Measures of Health: How Well Do Self-Reported and Observed Indicators Measure Health and Predict Mortality?
Randall Kuhn, Omar Rahman, and Jane Menken

 

314

APPENDIXES

 

 

A

 

Workshop Agenda

 

345

B

 

About the Contributors

 

351

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2006. Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Recommendations for Furthering Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11708.
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In sub-Saharan Africa, older people make up a relatively small fraction of the total population and are supported primarily by family and other kinship networks. They have traditionally been viewed as repositories of information and wisdom, and are critical pillars of the community but as the HIV/AIDS pandemic destroys family systems, the elderly increasingly have to deal with the loss of their own support while absorbing the additional responsibilities of caring for their orphaned grandchildren.

Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa explores ways to promote U.S. research interests and to augment the sub-Saharan governments' capacity to address the many challenges posed by population aging. Five major themes are explored in the book such as the need for a basic definition of "older person," the need for national governments to invest more in basic research and the coordination of data collection across countries, and the need for improved dialogue between local researchers and policy makers.

This book makes three major recommendations: 1) the development of a research agenda 2) enhancing research opportunity and implementation and 3) the translation of research findings.

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