SIR - As the spotlight turns on the G8 summit in St Petersburg, it would be fitting to remember the communities in the poorest parts of the world that endure a daily struggle for survival despite the promises made at Gleneagles a year ago.

In Africa, disease and poverty is still killing 50,000 people a day. In many countries in Africa up to two-thirds of the ten million children orphaned by HIV/AIDS are being looked after by their grandparents, who often sacrifice their own daily meal to feed the young.

At the grassroots, older people remain impoverished and marginalised by the lack of basic medical healthcare and inadequate food, clothing and shelter.

In partnership with HelpAge International, we are working hard to address the low priority given to the needs of older people in the developing world. Thanks to the generosity of the British public we are able to make a difference to people's lives.

We would urge readers to keep up the pressure on world leaders to address the basic imbalances of the world and focus on improving the lives of so many who have so little.

Michael Lake CBE, Director General, Help the Aged, Pentonville Road, London