Gov’t committed to digital technologies for healthy ageing – Ursula
The Minister of Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD), Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring digital inclusion for older people and promoting healthy ageing.
According to her, the government has collaborated with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to help accelerate digital technologies for the aged and healthy growth.
In a speech read on her behalf by her deputy, Ama Pomaa, on the celebration of the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD), she revealed that the plan “includes the more than one billion people aged 60 years or older at the centre of this year’s celebrations of the WTISD,” she noted.
With Ghana having an average of 7% of people aged 65 and above using Google, Facebook, Betway, Ghanaweb, and Wikipedia in 2021, the minister stressed that every country was experiencing an increase in the number and preferences of older people in the population.
According to the sector minister, statistics show that the country’s older generation requires ICT solutions to learn, stay socially connected, and for health and financial reasons.
As a result, the government required a strong framework to support the plan and, as such, embarked on “an ambitious infrastructure development program for the Information Communication Technology sector.”
The ministry revealed that a group of the population had contributed to the social and economic achievements of the country, for which reason they deserved the care and help.
On his part, the Director-General, National Communication Authority (NCA), Joe Anokye, admitted there was a vast potential to develop and advance interventions such as investment in intelligent devices targeting the country’s growing population of older persons.
“This will improve autonomous living, mobility in older persons and a happy, healthier ageing,” he added.
He stressed that the NCA, through the ITU’s recommendations, will continue to innovate and create a conducive environment for technology to thrive.
He, therefore, pledged the NCA’s continuous support for technological inventions and improvements that would improve the country’s socio-economic development.
The ITU Secretary-General, Houlin Zhao, in a statement read on his behalf, said equitable access to digital technologies was not just a moral responsibility but an essential task for global prosperity and sustainability.
The event was themed: “Digital Technologies for Older Persons and Healthy Ageing,”
This year’s WTISD was to allow stakeholders to raise awareness about the important role of telecommunications in supporting people to stay healthy, connected, and independent, physically, emotionally, and financially, as it commemorated the founding of the ITU and the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865.