Healthy Ageing and Ubuntu in the Context of COVID-19 and Future Pandemics in Sub-Saharan Africa

Ageing is a global phenomenon that compels nations to be ready to adequately sustain the health and well-being of elderly people. Sub-Saharan Africa has the largest ageing population in the world, but it is not yet ready to deal with the demands of the elderly. The era of COVID-19 exposed the unpreparedness of these nations, especially when dealing with people of 60+ age in terms of equipment, infrastructure, and expertise in geriatrics. This chapter proposes the framework of Ubuntu as an approach that could inform individual, community, and national interventions towards the health and well-being of elderly people in sub-Saharan Africa. It recognizes that a person has competency, potentiality, and capacity to promote their health and well-being. Every person is also recognized through consciousness; they can recognize socio-economic, political, and historical forces that deter their health and well-being. People are also recognized through connection, characterized by social engagement, unity, and selflessness. Being human entails the ability to discover oneself in connection with others, being aware of causes of unhealthy ageing, and bringing change through interactions with different people.