Day 22

Fitting a prosthesis for an elderly person in Pakistan

Living life independently again Living life independently again

Walking aids for the elderly in Pakistan

"As a young person, you take so many things for granted and I myself never thought about what it would be like to live with a disability," explains Rehman Khan. The 69-year-old has experienced a lot in his life. Born two years after the founding of Pakistan, he experienced the highs and lows of the young nation first hand. In old age, however, he lost his leg to diabetes and with it a large part of his independence. "I felt bad about being a burden to my family and no longer being able to look after them and myself." It was only a prosthetic leg that helped him become mobile again. "Now I can go to the market and the mosque again. I can even ride my motorbike again!" Rehman is delighted.

need

Walking aids and prostheses for elderly people with disabilities in the Peshawar region.

activity

Purchase and adaptation of walking aids (leg prostheses, walking sticks, wheelchairs) and training for older people.

Measurable performance

Number of leg prostheses, walking aids and wheelchairs and rehabilitation for older people with physical disabilities.

Result

The people can walk again and regain their independence.

Systemically relevant impact

The health of older people in Peshawar is sustainably improved and the older generation can continue to participate actively in society.

background

Millions of people in Pakistan live below the poverty line (Human Development Index: 150th out of 186 (UNDP 2018)). The situation is particularly difficult for the country's elderly. According to the Global Age Watch Index (HelpAge International, 2018), Pakistan ranks 92nd out of 96. This means that the country is not sufficiently prepared to meet the challenges of demographic change. After long military operations, there are around 5.3 million refugees within the country alone (Popp, 2015) - including many elderly people. Seniors are among the most vulnerable groups and need better medical care.

Chronic diseases cause the most physical impairments. 85 percent of people over 70 in Pakistan live with a physical disability (HelpAge International, 2018). Diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases and other diseases lead to insufficient blood flow to the tissue and cells dying. If blood flow is not ensured in time, amputation is often the only option. However, there are not enough prostheses for the people affected, which they urgently need in their new life situation. These people are now severely limited in their independence and are thus economically and socially marginalized in society.

The good deed

By doing a good deed today, you are making a lasting improvement in the health situation of older people in the Peshawar region. Those affected receive prostheses so that they can return to their professional activities, look after themselves independently and participate in social life. To this end, HelpAge offers, among other things, further training for medical staff, provides medication, equipment and prostheses, wheelchairs and walking aids, and at the same time carries out preventive work, for example in the area of chronic diseases. The aim is for people in old age, especially in the Peshawar region, to be able to live with dignity and self-determination.