Elderly people in Madagascar now have their own dedicated doctors. The Faculty of Medicine in Mahajanga has trained 38 geriatricians over two cohorts in recent years, with a third cohort of 20 students currently in training.
“These graduates are practicing in hospitals, private clinics, and individual practices. There is not yet a full-fledged geriatric department, as there is for other specialties,” explained Dr. Ali Dania, a geriatrician, yesterday during the first scientific day on geriatrics held at the Le Pavé hotel. However, some beds are dedicated to the elderly in hospital wards in Fianarantsoa, Mananjary, and Mahajanga. The Soavinandriana Hospital Center also recently announced the integration of geriatrics into its services.
Geriatrics is the medical specialty dedicated to the care of the elderly. “With aging, the physiology of the human body changes, as does the functioning of organs and the metabolism of medications. It is therefore essential to adapt treatments to the physical condition of seniors,” the doctors explain.
According to a census conducted in 2024, 4% of the Malagasy population is over 65 years old, representing 1,150,000 people, according to the Association of Doctors for the Promotion of Geriatrics. “This figure is likely higher in reality, as many people living in rural areas are not registered,” the geriatricians assert.
They clarify that no pathology is exclusive to the elderly, but the therapeutic approach changes. “The peculiarity of geriatrics lies in the presence of several simultaneous diseases, which makes care more complex,” they indicate.
Captured & Published at: 2026-10-02 06:40:49 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/10/sante-des-geriatres-operent-dans-les.html