The development of gerontology and geriatrics in Malta

Abstract

A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since, in their anticipation of a Turkish invasion, the Order of St. John perceived older persons as ‘useless civilians’ and evacuated them to Sicily. Malta holds a key place in the history of international ageing policy. The Maltese Government was the first nation to bring a motion before the United Nations that called for an action plan in regard to the world’s ageing population. This occurred in 1968 when Malta successfully appealed to the United Nations for the theme of ‘population ageing’ to be included on the agenda of the 24th session of the General Assembly. As a result, Malta played a key role in the United Nations World Assembly on Ageing in 1982 whose designated chairperson was a Maltese citizen. In 1987, Malta was one of the very first countries whose ministerial cabinet included a Parliamentary Secretariat for the Care of the Elderly. In 2013, the Parliamentary Secretariat was renamed ‘Parliamentary Secretariat for Rights of Persons with Disability and Active Ageing’ to emphasise the Government’s commitment away from the biomedical model and towards a holistic perspective of care in later life. This paper will highlight the main travails of gerontology and geriatric educatin in Malta and will elaborate on the history of the Gerontological Unit at the University of Malta, the University of the Third Age, the International Institute on Ageing (United Nations - Malta), and the Maltese Association for Gerontology and Geriatrics.