Egypt Prepares to Celebrate 30th International Day of Older Persons at Galala International City

BY

-

Sun, 04 Oct 2020 - 02:37 GMT

BY

Sun, 04 Oct 2020 - 02:37 GMT

The UN ‘International Day of Older Persons’ Celebration, will be held on October 1, 2020 at Galala International City.

The UN ‘International Day of Older Persons’ Celebration, will be held on October 1, 2020 at Galala International City.

CAIRO, Egypt, Monday, September 21, 2020--- On the Instructions of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and Under the Patronage of the Ministry of Youth & Sports, The Egyptian Association for the Care of Elderly will celebrate the 30th International Day of Older Persons at Galala International City. The UN ‘International Day of Older Persons’ Celebration, will be held on October 1, 2020 at Galala International City.

 

This year the UN 2020 observance has chosen to promote the ‘Decade of Healthy Ageing’ (2020-2030). The Chairman of the Association and the host of this important event, Dr. Ahmed El Dersh, Former Minister of Planning and International Cooperation hopes that this event will shed light on those important issues that affect the elderly and will conclude in a set of recommendations on how to improve the lives of Egypt’s elderly. Several government officials including His Excellency Major General Abdel MageedSakr, the Governor of Suez and several former Ministers will attend this prestigious event.

WhatsApp Image 2020-10-04 at 3.13.57 PM
 
WhatsApp Image 2020-10-04 at 3.13.54 PM (1)
 
WhatsApp Image 2020-10-04 at 3.13.53 PM
 

The event will be a chance for our nation to celebrate our Elderly Citizens. The celebration venue, Galala International City is perfect as it is designed to be one of the top educational & research Hubs in Egypt and the region with its newly established Galala University which consists of approximately 14 faculties including the faculties of medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy and dentistry. Galala is also positioned to be one of the top luxury resort destinations for tourists aged 60+ as well tourists who wish to enjoy the fresh air, mild climate, breath-taking combination of mountains and Red Sea and luxurious resort city. 

 

This high importance placed on this celebration from His Excellency President El Sisi and our nation is a clear indication to the world that our Nation and our President care about our elderly citizens and are keen to ensure that their needs are addressed and met. This is the first time that a nation will hold such a grand celebration on the occasion of the UN International Day of Older Persons. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure the safety of all participants, we have adapted strict precautionary safety measures as per WHO and the Ministry of Health recommendations, allowing for proper social distancing and so we have limited the number of attendees to 200, which is less than the venue’s capacity. Also, most of the event will take place outdoors. The aims of the 2020 UN theme can be found at: https://www.un.org/en/observances/older-persons-day).

 

One of the important themes of this event is “One Generation Passing on the Wisdom to Another Generation”. The event will be joyous gathering of government officials, high-profile business leaders, public figures, leaders from all the institutions and associations focused on the elderly as well as outstanding individuals that deal with the elderly and who strive to improve the quality of their lives.International Day of Older Persons Celebration will feature a line-up of important speakers, as well as a broad panel of academics, practitioners and experts on the topics related to the elderly including not only geriatrics but also other fields like gerontology, elderly psychological care and making sure that their social and economic needs are met. Some of those speakers include Dr. HalaSweed, Head of Geriatrics & Gerontology Department, Faculty of Medicine at Ain Shams University. Dr. Hala is also the Editor in Chief of the Egyptian Journal of Geriatrics and Gerontology, and the Founder of the Egyptian Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology.

 

The event also features other speakers including,Dr. Ahmed Abdelhakim, an Egyptian-American consultant of Physical therapy and rehabilitation. He is an expert onseniors’ rehabilitation to restore functional and occupational skills for aging adults.

 

Dr. Ahmed was the first pioneer to establish the idea of initiating and focusing on topics that relate to the importance of the care of elderly people, and to hold an event in Egypt with a focus on improving the care of elderly people. Dr. Ahmed graduated from the faculty of physical therapy at Cairo University, he then later obtained his Doctorate Degree in physical therapy and rehabilitation in the United States of America. Dr. Ahmed is the Director of the Rehabilitation Department in New York and was one of the founders of the National Institute of Longevity & Elderly Sciences at Beni Suef University.Dr. Ahmed’s work has brought to light the importance of the elderly population in our society, and the topic of how to facilitate a more improved system of care for them in order to give them the highest experience during day to day activities, resulting in the improvement of the quality of their lives.

 

One of the main objectives of this event is to develop a series of carefully formulated recommendations and suggestions for improving the lives of our precious elderly.Many heroes from the Armed Forces like Air Force Major General Abdelhadi Abdel Shafei, Military Lieutenant Colonel Mohamed Hashim Hassen Rahmyand Major General Osama Abdelrahman Mohamed Adam retired for the Police, who have contributed to the security, stability and development of our great nation will be honored during this prestigious event.Also, several other public figures including Ms. AblaKahlawy, Dr Magdy Yacoub, Dr. Farouk El Bazz, Dr. Heba Elsewedy, Father Botros Daniel and Dr. Ahmed El Talhywho have led outstanding lives and who have contributed towards the wellbeing of Egypt’s elderly will be honored as well.

 

The event will begin at 11 am with the Opening session and recitation of the Holy Quran by the popular Libyan Islamic Preacher, Dr. Ahmed El Talhy. Radio celebrity Mohamed Swelam will also attend and will tell the story of his grandfather who was a true patriot.

 

When asked about this important event, Nancy Abdelhadi, Founder & CEO of IBIS, the organizers of the event said, “My father’s tragic passing on June 1, 2020 from suspected Covid-19 made me realize how vulnerable the elderly are against this deadly virus. My father loved this country and refused to leave when the US Embassy notified us of flights back to the US because he wanted to live, die and be buried in his country. Even prior to his passing, my father lived with Alzheimer’s Disease for over 3 years and as his primary caregiver, I also came to realize that it’s extremely important to raise awareness about this devastating disease among healthcare workers and the general public in order for our loved ones to get the care that they deserve.

 

I am hopeful that the recommendations that will come out of this important event will be seen by our compassionate President who has demonstrated that he is keen to ensure that no one is left behind, and that His Excellency will do everything in his power to ensure that our loved ones over 60 will have an improved quality of life and will live a dignified life”.

 

The year’s celebration is supported by a number of Egyptian public and private sponsors and partners, including Egypt Air, Go Bus, Flo, Pharco, Egypt Gold School,  who are all dedicated to the success of the event.

WhatsApp Image 2020-10-04 at 3.14.02 PM
 
WhatsApp Image 2020-10-04 at 3.14.02 PM (1)

 

Comments

0

Leave a Comment

Be Social