Determinants of the Value of Older Persons in subSaharan Africa: The Case of Uganda

The paper explores the value of older persons and assesses the extent to which they make contributions to development in Uganda. The key indicators of value considered are current engagement in income-generating activities, possession of basic ethno-science knowledge and advice on conduct and behaviour.

Logistic regression model shows age, sex, education, country region and role played in social organisations influence engagement in income-generating activities. Possession of basic ethno-science knowledge is influenced by country region in which older persons live. Advice on conduct and behaviour is influenced by age, place of residence, country region, education and role played in social organisations.

The conclusion is that older persons play vital roles and possess valuable ethno-science knowledge which can be harnessed towards contributing to national development. It is recommended that institutionalisation of a non-contributory pension arrangement in Uganda be put in place for a more sustainable process of active aging. A national framework for recognising, profiling and documenting the value of older persons is further recommended as a strategy for improving the quality of old age-specific information in the country.