Reimagining Long-Term Care in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Potential of the Foster Family for Dependent Older Adults Model

Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing a rapid demographic shift, characterized by accelerated population aging1 and a rising burden of chronic noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.2 These trends are contributing to increased dependency among older adults, yet formal long-term care systems remain largely underdeveloped across the region. Institutional care facilities—including nursing homes—are scarce, financially inaccessible to most older individuals, and often misaligned with prevailing cultural values.