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oa Social coverage, solidarity and promoting the rights of the elderly people
- Source: Doha International Family Institute Journal, Volume 2013, Issue 1- Special Issue- Protecting the Arab Family from Poverty: Employment, Social Integration and Intergenerational Solidarity, May 2013, 8
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- 01 March 2015
Abstract
Social security schemes in the MENA region face challenges in terms of effectiveness, sustainability and governance. Large groups of the population remain out of the social security system. Access to basic pension, health services and education are essential to the well-being, and the lack of these services contributes to the persistence of poverty. All MENA countries – except Lebanon – have mandatory public pension schemes for at least part of the employees. In the region, the coverage rate is low with less than 40% of the working population covered by a public pension scheme. The Gulf States, Iran, Lebanon and Yemen suffer from the lowest coverage rates (between 5-30%). Morocco had one of the lowest levels of pension benefits and health insurance in the MENA region and populations were not able to afford the cost of access to health care, housing.