National programmes for age-friendly cities and communities: a guide
Age-friendly Environments ECHO Learning Programme (AFE-ECHO)
Are you a new or emerging leader of age-friendly cities and communities? Do you want to join a community of age-friendly champions and develop the skills required to create better places to grow, live, work, play, and age?
Participate in the Age-friendly Environments ECHO Programme (AFE-ECHO): a multi-session learning cycle part of the MENTOR-AFE programme aligned with the latest approaches and guidance on age-friendly environments from WHO.
Participants will be taken through the main components of the WHO age-friendly framework by global experts. Each session will also create a space for participants to apply what they learn through collaborative problem-solving.
Registrations for the first ever French edition of AFE-ECHO are now open, with the first session starting on 3 April 2024. The third round of AFE-ECHO in English will also be running later in 2024.
Member in Focus: Guadalajara, Mexico
The Government of Jalisco, México, through the State Institute for the Elderly (IJAM, in Spanish), celebrates Guadalajara has been the first municipality of the metropolitan area to attend the invitation to be able to form a friendly metropolis with our seniors, from the guidelines proposed by the World Health Organization. We recognize the full willingness and leadership of the Municipal President, Mr. Ramiro Hernández García, to make this commitment a reality.
In accordance with the last census of population and housing, 2010, in Guadalajara live 178,100 people over the age of…
Read moreAge-friendly Practice in Focus: ensemble2générations – an intergenerational housing programme
Established in Bordeaux in 2013, the “ensemble2générations” association works to promote intergenerational relations, break the solitude of older people and combat the precariousness of young students faced with a rare and expensive housing crisis, by accommodating young people in the homes of older people. The project, run in partnership with…
Read moreUpplands-Bro, Sweden joins the WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities
Upplands-Bro is a municipality in Sweden that is committed to creating a supportive and inclusive environment for older adults. As part of their age-friendly initiative, Upplands-Bro has implemented several activities and services aimed at improving the quality of life for our older residents.
One ongoing initiative is the “Omdaning-Bro” project, which aims to renovate and create new spaces in Upplands-Bro. The initiative includes a strong focus on the perspective of older adults, listening to their wishes and needs. The project has also planned to build new senior housing in an area mixed with preschools and other residences, in order to create diversity in the communities.
Upplands-Bro also provides a range of social and health care services for older adults with such needs, including home care services, rehabilitation services, and access to health and fitness activities.
To make the municipality more age-friendly, Upplands-Bro is also investing in technology and digital solutions. This includes the development of digital platforms that provide older adults with easy access to information and services, as well as the introduction of new technologies that can help improve their health and well-being. The municipality also offers training to understand technological developments for older individuals.
The municipality has also begun to write an action plan and conducted a baseline assessment based on WHO principles to become an age-friendly community.
Penang Island, Malaysia joins the Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities
Penang Island, measuring about 301 square kilometres, is located off the coast of Northwest Malaysia. It is a bustling developed city and features two UNESCO sites that complement its socio-economic developments.
Data from the Department of Statistics, Malaysia has revealed that Penang will have the largest proportion of people aged 60 and above in Malaysia at 26.2% by 2040, an increase from 14.87% in 2020. In preparation for this, the City Council of Penang Island and the Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC) has recently entered into a three-year public-private partnership in consultation with the Malaysian Healthy Ageing Society (MHAS) to introduce an Age-Friendly City Project. This project will adopt WHO guidelines in implementing, monitoring and reporting on a city-wide action plan. The project’s primary goal is to successfully establish Penang Island as an age-friendly city by providing facilities and services that meet the needs and requirements of residents of all ages and abilities.
The purpose of joining the WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities is to allow us to share and exchange information for a better outcome in our Age-Friendly City Project while at the same time, provide valuable insights into successful and effective practices.
Umit Uysal
Kathi Bailey
Adam Ogilvie
London, Canada Community
Ray Withy
Robert Reichert
Roger Sigouin
Senarath Attanayake
Shane Rattenbury
Josep Visa Bonet
Vincent C. Gray
Zoran Janković
Gwen Hassall
Iain Deboys
Anna-Kaisa Ikonen
Adding life to years
Nuestro grano de arena a la Red Global de Ciudades Amigables con las personas mayores!
A su vez, en la generación de opciones para que esta población mantenga una calidad de vida digna. Donde se fomente la formación y educación permanente, los espacios de salud mental y de relación con pares.
Queremos aportar en la transformación de roles de la población adulta mayor, donde pasen de ser sujetos pasivos a sujetos autónomos!
Ana Victoria Madrigal Boza, Oficina de Bienestar Social y Familia, Área Desarrollo Humano y Cohesión Social, Municipalidad de Mora
Ana Victoria Madrigal Boza, Oficina de Bienestar Social y Familia, Área Desarrollo Humano y Cohesión Social, Municipalidad de Mora