Effect of Geriatric Community Program on Achieving Sustainable Development Goals and Universal Health Coverage Among Older Persons in Africa; A Nigeria Project Plan

Abstract

Population of older person are growing globally, in Africa and Nigeria. The WHO stated that this demographic change has implications on health care systems and on achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) and universal health coverage (UHC). However, programs to adjust to population aging is still lacking in countries like Nigeria. This project proposal aims to implement and evaluate, with goal of scaling up, community geriatric program on achieving SDGs and UHC among older persons in Nigeria. Intervention approach will include home based management of older persons through seven geriatric case management processes, service provisions by trained case managers across four intervention domains, instituting and supporting health geriatric clinics and drug banks, enrollment of beneficiaries into national health insurance program and supporting system strengthening (on geriatric care) for service providers and hospitals. Data collection and entry will be done using expert data capturing tools and geriatric data management information system (GDMIS), while data analysis will be done through comparison of pre and post intervention indices. Review of literatures and anecdotal data show paucity of geriatric projects for care of older persons whose population is exponentially increasing in Africa. This project proposal that aims to implement and evaluate effect of a novel and innovative community health programs on achieving SDGs and UHC goals among older persons in Nigeria will share its result, conclusion, and recommendations, which will be disseminated for adaption and adoption for geriatric programing in the African context.