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Can Africa care for its elderly population?

More Africans are living longer 鈥 but many families are struggling to care for them

鈥淚 think my mum鈥檚 passing was a way of bringing me back to serve humanity. Maybe that鈥檚 what she鈥檇 have wanted to do for herself. Maybe I鈥檓 doing my mum鈥檚 work.鈥

80 million Africans are now above the age of 60. And with improved healthcare that鈥檚 a number that鈥檚 set to climb drastically in the coming years.

Traditionally, elderly people have been cared for by their families, but now more young people are moving from villages to the city for work, leaving their parents or grandparents on their own.

For today鈥檚 Africa Daily, Mpho Lakaje investigates the issues involved, and speaks to a woman who gave up her high-powered job to become a 鈥榖eggar for the elderly鈥 because she felt she'd failed to look after her own mother when she became ill and died from cancer.

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19 minutes

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