KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Over 40 persons will be honoured by the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC) for outstanding contribution in advancing the work of the entity during an awards ceremony on Wednesday.

The function, which will culminate the NCSC’s 40th anniversary celebrations, will be held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston under the theme: ‘Showcasing Our Legacy: Promoting Inter-generational Solidarity’.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, will deliver the keynote address while Chief of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean’s (ECLAC) Sub-regional Headquarters, Diane Quarless, and United Nations Population Fund (UNEP) Director, Alison Drayton, will bring greetings.

Acting Executive Director of NCSC, Cassandra Morrison, said that awards will be presented to senior citizens as well as other partners.

“Persons will be awarded in various categories including outstanding council members, who would have advanced the active ageing agenda in terms of research and education. We are also awarding senior citizens, who have served their parish and community, particularly through senior citizens’ clubs,” she informed. 

“We are awarding parish volunteers, members of staff, who have given excellent service and, of course, our media partners who have helped us to portray positive images of ageing,” she noted further.

Morrison said the NCSC has reason to celebrate as “it has brought much attention to the needs of older persons.”

She cited the Jamaica Drug for the Elderly Programme (JADEP) and concessionary fares for seniors, who travel on the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses as measures coming out of the council’s advocacy.

The acting executive director said the NCSC continues to advocate for the rights of the elderly and to speak out against elder abuse as well as to showcase the value of this group to national development.

Morrison said that the council anticipates completion of the revision of the National Policy drafted in 1997, which will address new issues senior citizens encounter.

“Their needs are somewhat different, they communicate differently now. The policy is being revised to include all those changes that [they] now face. Senior citizens are not only living longer but they may be affected by non-communicable diseases, so there are certain services that will be required,” she pointed out.

Over 12 per cent of the Jamaican population or more than 340,000 persons are senior citizens. Morrison said that the figure is expected to increase to 20 per cent by 2030.

Established in 1976 as a Department in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the NCSC promotes the well-being and concerns of persons 60 years and older at all levels. It has over 20,000 registered members across the country.