The Ministry of Social Development (Mides) of Panama warned this Friday about an increase in reports of mistreatment towards older people, and urged to reinforce measures to prevent ageism and promote equal treatment for this sector.
In a press release, Mides reported that so far this year, 1,640 complaints of mistreatment have been processed through its various care channels.
"Mides warns about the increase in complaints of mistreatment of older people and makes an urgent call to protect their rights," the entity stated, although it did not provide comparative figures with previous periods.
The institution explained that, according to protocol, the reported cases are referred to the Public Ministry for the corresponding investigation processes.
Mides highlighted that it maintains public protection programs for this population group, including "120 at 65," an economic benefit that reaches 117,111 older people in conditions of poverty or extreme poverty.
Additionally, the National Coordination for Older Adults supervises 82 Comprehensive Care Centers, where more than 1,900 older adults receive special care and protection.
Mides reaffirmed its commitment within the Inter-American Convention on the Protection of the Human Rights of Older Persons, promoting actions to ensure dignified treatment, equal opportunities, and the prevention of mistreatment.
Based on data from the National Institute of Statistics and Census (Inec), there are 563,641 people over 60 years of age in Panama, equivalent to 13.9% of the national population. Of the total, 47.4% are men and 52.6% are women.
