Shingles Awareness Week: why we need to keep talking about shingles

1 in 3 people will develop shingles in their lifetime, yet an average of 66% of people believe they are at low risk of developing shingles, and 27% of people are not aware of their risk of developing shingles in the next 10 years.

The International Federation on Ageing, in collaboration with GSK, is hosting Shingles Awareness Week (February 29 – March 05). The campaign theme this year is ‘press play on your moment, not the virus that causes shingles’.

It has been a great start to the year for the IFA’s Secretary General Dr. Jane Barratt who, as part of the upcoming Shingles Awareness Week, had the opportunity to talk with a special guest and former shingles sufferer about his experience of the disease, how it impacted his daily routine, and how it caused him to miss important life moments.

Make sure to follow us on social media channels @IFAgeing to be the first to watch the interview.

Front Page

Save the Date for the 16th Global Conference

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January Headline

Featured

IFA Hosts National Experts on Vaccine Confidence

The IFA Roundtable on improving vaccine confidence and health equity for older adults in Canada in light of COVID-19 vaccine innovations was hosted in Toronto, Canada this month. Experts gathered to inform vaccination resources being created by the IFA for community organizations in Canada.

IFA hosting National Experts on Vaccine Confidence

Pictured (left to right): Dr. Mattea Thompson, Dr. Janessa Griffith, Dr. Shen Lin, IFA Program Manager Anusheh Khan

Advocacy and Knowledge

Life-course Approach

Immunization within NITAGs

Join us on 9 March for an Interactive Dialogue on the Integration of the Life-course Approach to Immunization within NITAGs. A discussion with key experts will explore the translation of evidence by examining the implications of the IFA’s most recent study “Evidence to Action: A review of the National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups.

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Boosting Knowledge

Adult Vaccination Health Care Professionals ECHO Program

The AV-HCP ECHO Program was an interactive learning series that fostered a learning community which aimed to empower health care professionals to become educators, advocates and champions of adult vaccination, through sharing of evidence, tools, and good practices.

Download the Report

Monthly Calendar

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Upcoming Webinar

Establishing the Case for Prioritization of Life-Course Immunization

To create a forum for deliberations to transform knowledge into policy action, the International Federation on Ageing (IFA) is convening a two-part webinar series entitled Advancing equity in adult immunization.

We invite you to first webinar Establishing the case for prioritization of life-course immunization on 23 February 2023 at 9:00-10:30 a.m. EST

In-Person UN Side Event

Prioritizing the Rights of Older Persons

IFA is cohosting an in-person side event at the United Nations Commission for Social Development in New York. Aligned with the priority theme, the side event will highlight the specific barriers faced by older persons in accessing full and productive employment and calls for strengthening the protection of the rights of older persons.

Attend in-person on 9 February (1:15 – 2:30pm EST) or tune in to the live webcast.

Live Webcast

16th Global Conference

Submit your abstract until March 17

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Make an oral presentation, be a part of a workshop or symposium by submitting an abstract related to one or more conference themes - age-friendly environments, digital technologies and practice, maintaining and improving function, immunization for all ages, and older women. All submissions should consider the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing action areas and its enablers.

Opinion

Brain disease diagnosis with medical doctor diagnosing elderly ageing patient neurodegenerative illness problem seeing Magnetic Resonance Imaging

IFA Staff Advocating for Health Equity in Stroke Treatment

IFA Project Officer Cera Cruise co-authored an article published in the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences calling for an intersectional approach to stroke treatment be adopted throughout the care continuum in order to promote health equity for persons with disabilities. The article, Imperfect Patients: Disparities in Treatment of Stroke Patients with Premorbid Disability, can be accessed below.

Read the full article by IFA Project Officer Cera Cruise

Previously on IFA Global Café

"(...) I really see our role as making sure that those voices are heard, making sure that we address ageism so that in all of those things, older people can get access to the services that they need and are full part of our community.” - Ms. Pat Sparrow in a conversation about the

Watch the recording

"Those of us in the age-friendly world need to be prepared for the changes (…) in terms of policy-making, in terms of the private sector, and to use our time wisely in developing relationships with those people who are gonna be making decisions..." - Mr. Paul McGarry in a conversation on age-friendly environments in the Greater Manchester Region.

Watch the recording

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