BRUNEI DARUSSALAMThe 14th ASEAN & Japan High Level

Officials Meeting on Caring Societies :

Increasing Employment Participation for Elderly and Disabled.

8th-11th November 2016, Tokyo, Japan

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Brunei Darussalam Demographic Profile

• Total Area : 5,765 sq km.

• Divided into 4 Districts : 1. Brunei-Muara2. Tutong3. Kuala Belait4. Temburong

• Estimated Population (1st Jan 2016) : 426,444Male : 215,354 Female : 211,569

• Aged 60 years (Old Aged Pension) : 31,058• Aged 65 years (Est 2016 3.5%) : 14,926• Population of Persons with Disabilities :9303 (as of Sept 2016)• Life Expectancy : 76.2 years (Male)

: 73.9 years (Female)

• Overall Life Expectancy : 78.5 years2

Welfare Policies for the

Older People (OPs) and

Persons With Disabilities (PWDs)

• Establishment of a National Council of Social Issues in2008.

• Establishment of a Special Committee For Elderly andPeople With Disabilities.

• Plan of Actions For Elderly and People WithDisabilities in 2011 covering issues : Law andRegulations, Health, Employment, Education,Transportation, Housing, Social Participation andRecreational, Infrastructure and Research.

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• Ratified Convention on the Rights of Persons withDisabilities (CRPD) in April 2016.

• Disability Order has been formulated and is in thepipeline for adoption.

• Compulsory Education Order 2007 promotesinclusive education

• Disability Pensions Act (CAP 18)

• Blind Pension Act

• Old Age Pension and Disable Act 1954 :

- A non-contributory financial assistance ofBND250(USD179.34) to citizens and residents uponreaching 60 years old regardless of their economicstatus and gender.

Welfare Policies For The

Older People (OPs) And

Persons With Disabilities(PWDs)

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Health Status For OPs And PWDs

• Ministry of Health plays a major role in providing health care for the elderly.

• Primary health care is easily available for the elderly through a network of government centers, clinics and outpatients services in the hospitals.

• Provision of free medical treatment and care for the elderly with minimal charge of registration of BND 1.00 (USD 1.34).

• Provision of special lanes and queuing system for OPs in hospitals (e.g. in Pharmacy Department, Laboratory Department).

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• Provision of geriatrician services; Specialist physicians are appointed along with trained nursing personnel who will look after geriatric patients. Rehabilitation programs providing physiotherapy, occupational therapy and Medical services are also provided by all major hospitals throughout the country.

• Home-Based Nurses services.

• Health Promotion of the OPs; Ministry of Health is actively promoting healthy lifestyles such as ongoing campaigns and national nutritional survey to screen risk factors for health diseases and assess the nutritional status of the population, health education on obesity, diabetes and hypertension. 6

Health Status For OPs And PWDs

Social Development For OPs And PWDs

Older Persons (OPs):

• Celebrated the International Day for theElderly since 1999 (1st October).

• Celebrated the International Day for theDisabled since 2011 (3rd December).

• Setting up of an activity centre for elderly in 2012 and a 2nd Center is built in TutongDistrict and will operate soon.

• Organize a home care program for the elderly since 2005.

• Establishment of Non-Government Organizations on Elderly.

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Persons With Disabilities (PWDs):

• Setting up of government operated center for PWDs running activity and programs like:

- conducting community-based rehabilitation

programs for PWDs within their home environment.

- conducting trainings of skills such as basic academic, life, social and vocational training.

- running employment programs like giving job placements for potential employment.

• Celebrates the International Day of the Disabled since 2011 (3rd December).

Social Development For OPs And PWDs

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Persons With Disabilities (PWDs):

• Inclusive education policy for persons with special needs, which does not allow for segregation of schools for them. Education for persons with special needs is coordinated by the Special Education Unit (SEU) of the MOE.

• The SEU organizes services with the support of the School-Based Team (SBT). This team includes Special Education Needs Assistance (SENA) or Home-Room (HR) Teachers, regular classroom teachers, teacher aides, resource teachers, special educators, psychologists and other relevant specialist personnel.

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Social Development For OPs And PWDs

Persons With Disabilities (PWDs):

• Establishment of Non-Government Organizations for Persons With Disabilities e.g. the newly establish Council For Persons With Disabilities.

• Financial support by government for the disable organizations.

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Social Development For OPs And PWDs

Measures To Ensure A Convivial Society For

OPs And PWDs

• Strengthening the family institutions by the declaration of a National Family Day in 2012 by His Majesty (falls on the 1st Sunday of the month of May).

• Commomerating international events the International Day for Persons with Disabilities and Day for the Elderly.

• Provision of special fare for public transport like bus fare for elderly.

• Provision of social security like Old Age Pensions, monthly financial assistance allowance, pensions, Supplementary Contributory Scheme, Employers Trust Fund .

• Setting up of activity centers for the elderly.

• Ownership to property like housing, land, property.

• Amendments to the Building Control Order inclusive for an elderly and PWDs friendly facilities.

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• Provision of special lane and queue for OPs and PWDs such as in the hospitals, to make and renew passport and renew road tax at the Department of Land Transport.

• Encourage NGOs participation (Brunei Council on Social Welfare and others)

• Inclusive education / Education for all / life-long education

• For PWDs, government’s support (land) for NGOs

• Standing order for salary-cut (Government officers) to accounts for PWDs NGOs.

Measures To Ensure A Convivial Society For

OPs And PWDs

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Pictures of OPs(visits & activities)

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Thank you

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