Geriatric Society of Trinidad and Tobago launched

Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee-Scoon has praised the establishment of the Geriatric Society of Trinidad and Tobago (GSTT) which was launched on October 16, at Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain.

The GSTT was set up by Dr Lavanya Thondavada, a trained physician in elderly care, with the aim of promoting healthy lifestyle among ageing people, a media release said.

She is supported by Roman Catholic vicar general Fr Martin Sirju and Dr Jacqueline Sabga who endorse the thrust to encourage elderly people to engage in physical activity and develop healthy diets, the release said.

The GSTT plans to develop outreach programmes to benefit a wide cross section of people.

Among those honoured at launch were John Andrews, Kathleen Chan Wing, Lynette Audain, Venus Sabga, Sixtus Pierre, Ramganie Bob Gopee, Theodora Forbes, Joyce Welch, Lennox Toussaint, Dr Vijay Narayansingh, June Joseph, Gangadai Bhawansingh, Barbara Moutett, Pauline Clarke, Susan De Verteuil and Mary Pereira.

The GSTT comprises three board members with Thondavada as president, vice president is Dr Jaqueline Sabga, and Father Martin Sirju is executive director.

Thondavada has specialties in dermatology, gerontology and diabetes while Sabga is a general practitioner with wide experience in the treatment of cancer patients. Sirju is administrator of the Roman Catholic Cathedral and the church’s representative on the IRO.

Thondavada made a presentation outlining how the ageing population has increased over the years and the wide variety of responses needed so that the elderly may have quality care and enjoy happy lives, the release said.

Special appreciation was shown to John Andrews, former director and consultant in the area of mineralogy, and Joyce Wells, 97, a fine example of ageing, the release said.

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According to the UN World Population Prospects (2019), by 2050, one in six people in the world will be over age 65 (16 per cent), up from one in 11 in 2019 (9 per cent). By 2050, one in four people living in Europe and Northern America could be aged 65 or over, the release said.

In 2018, for the first time in history, people aged 65 or above outnumbered children under five years of age globally. The number of people aged 80 years or over is projected to triple, from 143 million in 2019 to 426 million in 2050.

Age 65 and over across the world population is currently 12 per cent. It is expected to increase to 38 per cent by 2100. The projected ageing population in the Caribbean is expected to increase from 1.6 million to 2.8 million by 2030.

TT has been described as an "ageing population’’ because more than ten per cent of the total population is over age 60. In 2011, the older population of TT age over 60 was 13.4 per cent over the age of 60 years… and the percentage is projected to be 17.7 per cent in 2025 and is expected to grow to 30.1 per cent in 2050.

The GSTT can be contacted at: 682-3554