Poverty reduction for older people: the case of access to health services in Tanzania

Poverty reduction is the overarching development policy today shaping both national and donor programmes and activities. The Copenhagen World Summit on Social Development, the Millennium Development Goals, the G8 Summit at Gleneagles on Debt Relief and Poverty, the Summit on Poverty and at national level the PRSP 2000 and now the National Strategy for Growth and Poverty Reduction clearly demonstrate both global and national commitments on poverty reduction. A number of sector specific initiatives also have significant bearing on poverty reduction. These include EFA at global level and in national terms, for Tanzania the Primary Education Plan and various policies and programs such as those of health, agriculture, local government, micro-financing, social security, youth, and older people among others.