Social protection and the elderly in the developing world: mutual aid, micro-insurance, and the state

Although social security retirement programmes have been established in many developing countries, they cover only a small proportion of the elderly population. The situation will become more pressing as the numbers of needy elderly people increase. Because conventional social security programmes are unlikely to meet their needs in the foreseeable future, the role of alternatives such as micro-insurance should be explored. The article examines recent innovations in micro-insurance designed to protect elderly people and considers their potential to contribute to national efforts to provide social protection to all.