The United Nations High-Level Meeting on
Universal Health Coverage
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The 2023 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Global Monitoring Report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Bank has found that more than half of the world’s population is still not covered by essential health services despite numerous global commitments. Significantly, the report echoes previous bodies of research to find that older persons are especially at risk for catastrophic health care spending and having unmet health care needs. Covering the full continuum of health services, essential health services include vaccination, primary health care, vision care, rehabilitation, and hearing care, all areas in which the International Federation on Ageing (IFA) advocates for a life course approach to be adopted within care delivery.
In 2019 Heads of State and Government came together and reaffirmed that every human being as the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, resulting in the 2019 Political Declaration of the High-Level Plenary Meeting on Universal Health Coverage. Last week, governments once again join to discuss UHC at the United Nations High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage on 21 September. Under the theme of “Universal health coverage: expanding our ambition for health and well-being in a post-COVID world” and building upon the 2019 Political Declaration, the High-Level Meeting on UHC undertook a comprehensive review of the implementation of the 2019 Political Declaration, with a goal of supporting the achievement of UHC by 2030.
To advocate for Member States to commit to supporting UHC, the IFA joined the International Disability Alliance and the International Disability and Development Consortium as a cosignatory to the Statement on Achieving Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities and Older Persons, which was presented at the High-Level Meeting.
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33rd United Nations IDOP event |  | |
The 33rd commemoration of the United Nations International Day of Older Persons, held on October 2, 2023, at the UN Headquarters, focused on the theme of "Fulfilling the Promises of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for Older Persons: Across Generations." This event recognized the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and its significance in protecting fundamental human rights globally.
The key objectives of the 33rd UN International Day of Older Persons were to raise global awareness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its relevance to older persons' rights, exchange knowledge on intergenerational models for human rights protection, and urge governments and UN entities to incorporate a life course approach to human rights.
The event emphasized that intergenerational solutions guided by human rights principles can empower both youth and older persons to fulfill the promises of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.
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International Day of Older People |  | |
The global population is rapidly changing, resulting in a shift in demographic distributions toward older ages, known as population ageing. It is estimated that by 2050, 1 in 6 people in the world will be aged 60 years or older, with the proportion of this population and those 80 years or above doubling and tripling, respectively.
With the global ageing population, October 1st marks the United Nations International Day of Older Persons (UNIDOP), with the theme of “fulfilling the promises of the universal declaration of human rights for older persons: across generations”.
This important event puts a spotlight on the specificity of older persons around the world, for the enjoyment of their rights and in addressing violations and how the strengthening of solidarity through equity and reciprocity between generations offers sustainable solutions to deliver on the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Learn more about International Day of Older Persons and three main objectives for 2023 here
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Adult Vaccination Healthcare Provider
Education Program
On behalf of the WHO and IFA it is a pleasure to invite new and emerging leaders of age-friendly cities and communities from around the world to participate in this innovative and exciting learning opportunity: the second edition of the AFE ECHO Program. The program will provide a safe environment where participants can share knowledge and learn through collaborative problem-solving.
Key Features of AFE ECHO
- The learning cycle comprises of 5 one hour sessions (07:00 to 08:00 Eastern Time Zone),
- Sessions take place bi-weekly over a 2-month period from October 4 to November 29.
- Sessions are held in English.
- Participants need to be in a position where they can or will be able to influence the development of age-friendly communities so that they can apply their learning.
- Participants are expected to attend all 5 sessions, as the experience and knowledge is cumulative.
- Participants from all WHO Member States are welcome to join.
- There is no cost to participate and all sessions are hosted using Zoom video conferencing.
Additionally, after each session there will be a 15 minute optional Q&A session during which attendees can consult with the expert Hub Team. Members include Dr. Thiago Hérick de Sa from the World Health Organization and Dr. Samuèle Rémillard-Boilard from the Université de Sherbrooke. The curriculum of the AFE ECHO can be found here.
Please contact Cera Cruise at ccruise@ifa.ngo should you have any questions or would like any additional information about the Age-Friendly Environments ECHO Mentorship Program.
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Evidence to Action: A review of the National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) | |
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The IFA is delighted to share our recent study entitled Evidence to Action: A review of the National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs). This high-level review of 34 NITAGs sought to better understand the degree to which the ‘life course approach’ is actualized in the IA2030 agenda and translated into the UN Decade of health ageing.
This groundbreaking study highlighted the urgent need for stronger governance, greater transparency and prioritization of a life course approach among NITAGs. The technical report outlines key findings and evidence informed recommendations to practices improving the effectiveness of NITAGs and, arguably, the population coverage of people of all ages. Check out the link for additional recourses and information.
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Operationalizing the Lifecourse Immunization Benchmarking Workshop
Vaccination is one of the most effective public health interventions of our time, and yet despite this fact, adult vaccination rates remain suboptimal, at best.
The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) Life-course Immunization: Country Landscape Report is a benchmark body of work that should be used to complement the evidence-to-action work being conducted by civil society organizations globally. As a mechanism to raise awareness of this evidence and determine through thoughtful leadership the most powerful ways to help drive this important agenda, the IFA, in partnership with IFPMA, is convening a high-level ‘scoping to action’ two-day virtual workshop on October 12th and October 13th (7:00am – 10:00am EDT).
Taking a life-course approach to immunization offers a valuable opportunity to improve health, support health system sustainability, and promote economic prosperity.
Learn more about the IFPMA Life-Course Immunization: Country Landscape Report here.
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Discover a healthier you at any age!
The growing young exercise program
by Bill Dooley
A message from IFA's newest Associate member -
Hello everyone!
I am very happy to be a part of your community which does such important work.
My specialty area is exercise for those 65 years + and I have developed an online program called ‘Growing Young Exercise Program’ which is specifically designed to help improve strength, balance and mobility.
For more information on the Growing Young Exercise Program please visit my website www.billdooley.com or email me at billdooley@billdooley.com
Thank you and keep growing young!
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IFA celebrates World Sight Day | |
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IFA has long recognized the importance of eye health as a key component of function and healthy ageing. Vision loss has an outsized impact on the health and well-being of older adults, making it difficult to work, volunteer, stay active and mobile, take care of oneself and form and maintain relationships. Despite the high burden of vision loss in older adults, access to eye care remains difficult. Eye care is often not included in primary care services, and referral pathways to specialists for diagnosis, and treatment is complex. There are often many barriers to receiving services, including cost, transportation, stigma or not wanting to be a burden to friends and family.
This World Sight Day, it is important to recognize the key part that vision plays in improving the lives of older people. To this end, IFA will be engaging in a number of activities this month to support improved policy and practice to advance vision health as a vital part of healthy ageing:
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Attending European Society of Retina Specialistsn (EURETINA) congress to represent the Barometer Program, which aims to improve the vision health outcomes of adults with diabetes, and those with nAMD, through collaboration, evidence generation, knowledge exchange, and action.
- Hosting a meeting of German retina specialists and thought leaders to mobilize evidence to action to support improve health outcomes for patients with nAMD.
- Highlighting the connection between healthy ageing and vision in a forthcoming report to align sectors to improve the health and quality of life of older people.
Stay tuned to IFA channels to learn more about these initiatives throughout the month, and the work being done to support enhanced vision health for all.
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Highlighting Messages from IFA’s Global Conference this “Flu” Season | |
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Fall marks the beginning of “flu” season, characterized by peak rates of infectious diseases including influenza, COVID-19 and RSV. During this time, it is important to note the benefits of vaccination in combatting infectious diseases in older people, often preventing mortality, morbidity, hospitalization and enabling the maintenance of function. Echoing messages from IFA’s recent 16th Global Conference on Ageing, call to action is needed to support comprehensive immunisation programs driven by data on vaccination coverage, disease burden and using the most effective vaccine for the disease.
Learn more from IFA’s Presidential Symposium on Immunisation for All Ages and stay tuned to IFA channels for more information on protecting the health of older people throughout this “flu” season.
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