Abstract

Population aging is one of the most significant demographic phenomena, affecting every ‎individual, family, community, and society. This study aimed to identify the current socio-‎demographic situation as well as to assess the health status of the elderly in Gezira state, ‎Sudan, in 2021. The study design was cross-sectional. Data was gathered through a ‎questionnaire distributed to 1200 older persons. The study adopted several analytical ‎techniques, including descriptive analysis, the chi-squared test, and odds ratio. According to ‎the findings of the elderly survey, the elderly in Gezira state, particularly women and elders ‎living in rural areas, had low levels of education. Moreover, the majority of the elderly were ‎housed in crowded houses. In addition, elderly people in rural areas were more likely to have ‎poor drinking water and poor sanitation than those in urban areas. Furthermore, the majority of ‎the elderly had at least one of the non - communicable diseases. The study recommended that ‎the Sudan’s government should implemented a national aging policy for the elderly. Wiping ‎literacy programs should be adopted as part of national policy, particularly among women and ‎the elderly who live in rural areas. A health policy that includes non - communicable illness ‎treatment, particularly for urban seniors, should also be adopted.‎

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