Welcome to your UN Decade of Healthy Ageing update for May!
In this newsletter, learn more about:
- The 14th Open-ended Working Group on Ageing
- Joining dialogues on healthy ageing at the 77th World Health Assembly
- New resources on long-term care from the World Health Organization
- Making your voice heard on social isolation and loneliness, and the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism
- Other upcoming opportunities to get involved
In case you missed it: events, publications, and more
14th Open-ended Working Group on Ageing
This week from 20-22 and 24 May 2024, the 14th session of the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWGA) is taking place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The OEWGA brings together governments, civil society organisations, and researchers to identify gaps in existing international frameworks on the human rights of older persons and how best to address them.
With policy and law identified as one of three strategies proven to work to reduce ageism by the UN Global report on ageism, the OEWGA is a crucial contribution to creating #AWorld4AllAges.
Keep track of the conversations and get involved by watching the webcasts on UN Web TV, and joining online or watching recordings of official side events, curated on the UN Decade knowledge Platform
Join dialogues on healthy ageing at the 77th World Health Assembly
The World Health Assembly (WHA) takes place every end-May at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. It is attended by delegations from WHO’s 194 Member States. The WHA also attracts a range of stakeholders from around the world working to ensure the highest attainable standard of health for all.
On the margins of the 77th WHA, a number of events related to healthy ageing are being organised – reflecting continued momentum in efforts to transform the world to be a better place to grow older during this UN Decade of Healthy Ageing.
Whether you’re joining the dialogues in person or online, we’ve brought together all the relevant events on the UN Decade Platform
New resources on long-term care from the World Health Organization
As a contribution to the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, the World Health Organization has recently published two resources to support governments and care providers to ensure that older people who need it has access to good quality, affordable long-term care (LTC):
- Long-term care for older people: package for universal health coverage
This provides a list of LTC interventions that all countries could consider, prioritize and provide as a part of ensuring universal health coverage.
Download the publication and watch the launch event. - Long-term care financing: Ensuring financial protection in long-term care
This is the 6th in a series of briefs produced by the WHO Centre for Health Development to provide evidence for policies in low- and middle-income countries on designing and financing LTC.
Access the new brief and the full series.
Make your voice heard on social isolation and loneliness and the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism
WHO Commission on Social Connection calls for lived experiences of social isolation and loneliness – across all age groups
Closing 31 May 2024 (Friday): The WHO Commission is looking for around 5 individuals to document their stories as a continuation of the Social Connection Series of short films, and a larger group to participate in a ‘lived experience panel’ to review the WHO Commission’s flagship report before publication.
Vote on a ‘supporters’ logo’ for the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism
Closing 31 May 2024 (Friday): The Global Campaign to Combat Ageism is looking for your inputs to develop a ‘supporters’ logo’ that any stakeholder can use on their events, publications, campaigns, and more to link their work to the Global Campaign
More opportunities to get involved
- Deadline 31 May 2024: Healthy Aging Prize for Asian Innovation (JCIE)
Now in its fourth year, this prize seeks to recognize and amplify innovative policies, programs, services, and products that address the challenges facing aging societies, help extend healthy and meaningful lives, and improve the provision of care to older adults. - 1 June 2024: Global Day of Parents (UN)
Interactions with parents and grandparents represent some of the first intergenerational interactions we have. On this day, learn more about intergenerational practice and how it can help us challenge ageism even within families. - 3 June 2024: World Bicycle Day (UN)
Biking is a sustainable mode of transportation that can also bring people of all ages together to be physically active.
On this day, advocate for access to safe and enjoyable biking for people of all generations. Learn more about intergenerational practice here, and physical activity for older people here. - 5 June 2024: World Environment Day (UNEP)
There’s no healthy ageing without a healthy planet. On this day, raise awareness of the unique challenges older people face during the climate crisis, and the contributions they make to creating solutions – using our advocacy brief. - 10-16 June 2024: Loneliness Awareness Week (Marmalade Trust)
We now know social isolation and loneliness (SIL) have serious negative impacts on our health and well-being – across all age groups.
Learn more about SIL among older people in our brief on the topic, and sign-up for updates on the WHO Commission on Social Connection’s work. - 17 June 2024: World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing
Save the date for an online event organised by the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing Secretariat on progress to implement the five priorities to address abuse of older people during the UN Decade. Register in advance here.
In case you missed it: events, publications, and more
- Global Intergenerational Week
24-30 April 2024: The Global Campaign to Combat Ageism supported a worldwide community of practitioners celebrating the power of intergenerational practice with new resources for its latest ‘how-to’ guide, Connecting Generations. Learn more here. - Podcast: The Conversation – Women Confronting Ageism (BBC Sounds)
29 April 2024: The BBC programme ‘The Conversation’ recently covered the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing and the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism in this engaging interview session. Listen to it here. - Science in 5: Low back pain (WHO)
30 April 2024: Low back pain is the leading cause of disability globally, experienced by many older people around the world – but it is not an inevitable result of ageing. Learn more about the issue and what we know about how to address it in this accessible video. - ICPD30 Global Dialogue on Demographic Diversity (UNFPA)
15-16 May 2024: Held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, this dialogue created a platform to discuss the challenges and explore the opportunities of the world’s shifting demographics. Learn more here.