The Ageing Population and the Challenges of Health Management: A Study of Retirees of Public Institutions in South East Nigeria

Abstract

While life expectancy will continue to improve owing to the domestic humanitarian improvement, proxy-policy influence on the sub-Saharan African nations [Nigeria included] by the United Nations and other developed nations, the ageing population will continue to increase making it more or less policy imperative among the nations within this region. Among other things, public health policy occupies the most important position in the web of policy approach to the needs and care for the aged. In the light of the above, the present paper investigated the realities of public health policy outcome [1988 to 2016], as it affects the ageing populations via public health facilities and health packages for the aged. 600 retirees of public institutions from southeast Nigeria were involved in the study, which adopted survey design and modified random sampling techniques. In view of the substantive issues of the study, less than 25% of the respondents go for regular medical checkups and self-health maintenance, more than 80% depended on self-support for medical upkeep; the regression model adopted in the study proved [p< .05], the factors affecting regular health upkeep and satisfaction with services at the public health facilities among the retirees.