A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Award of
the Degree of Master of Science in Development Policy (MSc. DP) of Mzumbe
University.
Social insecurity and vulnerability of elderly are among problems that are still facing
the elderly in Tanzania. This study was designed to assess how the elderly access
social services, establish the magnitude and identify factors which contribute to
increased social insecurity and vulnerability as well as assessing existence and
adequacy of institutional support to these elderly in Morogoro Municipality. The
study employed a cross-sectional study design which involved visiting and
interviewing 96 elderly people from four wards namely, Chamwino, Mwembesongo,
Kichangani and Boma. It was observed that the majority of male elderly were married
(76.7%) while the majority of female elderly were widows (66.0%). It was also
found that more than 90% of elderly persons interviewed were not employed. Fifty
nine percent lived below poverty line. The majority (67.7%) of respondents were
supported by their children and relatives while few reported to depend on crop
farming (40.6%) or business (21.9%) for livelihood. Access to food and balanced diet
was a big problem and approximately 40% reported to skip a lunch every day. The
major complaints of the elderly on health services included lack of diagnostic
facilities, unavailability of medicine and specialized clinics for the elderly diseases. A
big number of elderly was suffering from chronic diseases (69.8%) and supporting
other vulnerable groups such as orphans (53%). However, the support of government
and private institutions for elderly was limited. It is concluded that the majority of
elderly people in Morogoro Municipality are poor and consequently they are socially
insecure and vulnerable. It is recommended that the Government should support them
through provision of universal pension to all the elderly above 60 years to improve
their social security. The formulation of laws and regulations to guide the
implementation of the national ageing policy is pertinent.