17/06/2026
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2026 | “Beyond Awareness: Making Elder Abuse Prevention Work”
On Monday, 15 June 2026, the Free State MEC for Health, Mr. Monyatso Mahlatsi, calls for an end to the abuse of older persons and for stronger, coordinated systems that safeguard their dignity, independence, and rights.
This year’s observance is marked at United Nations Headquarters in New York alongside a major international meeting on the rights of persons with disabilities. As populations age, more people with disabilities are growing older, and many older persons develop disabilities later in life. This overlap demands closer coordination between ageing and disability efforts—especially in protection, care, and community-based support—essential pillars for preventing and addressing elder abuse.
To make access and prevention real in people’s lives, the Free State Department of Health is championing a campaign to make it easier for older persons who are stable on chronic medication to receive their medicines through the Central Chronic Medicine Dispensing and Distribution (CCMDD) programme—via convenient community pick-up points—or through safe, verified home deliveries. This reduces long queues, travel costs, and barriers to care, while promoting dignity and independence.
How to access:
• Visit your nearest clinic or speak to a community health worker to check eligibility and enroll in CCMDD.
• Choose a convenient pick-up point or opt in for safe home delivery.
• Caregivers can collect on behalf of older persons where consent is provided through the *Household Delivery of Chronic Medicines*. Please keep contact details up to date.
Elder abuse remains under-recognized and under-reported. If you see or suspect abuse, speak up. Reach out to your local clinic, social worker, community health worker, or law enforcement. Together, we can protect the rights and wellbeing of older persons across the Free State.
