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Welcome to your quarterly Age-friendly World newsletter |
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It’s been over one year since the publication of WHO’s guide and toolkit on national programmes for age-friendly cities and communities. Since then, the worldwide movement to build better places to grow, live, work, play and age has continued to flourish.
Not only are we welcoming more new members to the WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities every month, but there are also a growing number of countries that are creating national age-friendly programmes to better support current and future generations of older citizens. (Keep reading to find out more!)
As we enter the last quarter of 2024, we have key opportunities to advocate for and take action on creating age-friendly environments at national, regional, and global levels. In this newsletter, explore these opportunities, discover how you can get involved, and catch up on the Global Network’s work over the last 3 months.
GNAFCC Secretariat
World Health Organization |
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National Affiliate in Focus: The Government of Portugal, represented by the Directorate-General of Health |
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The Government of Portugal has a strong history of fostering healthy ageing since 2006. The recent launch of its national age-friendly cities and communities network builds on these efforts, and, in alignment with the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030), represents a continued commitment to advance policies and initiatives that improve the lives of older people, their families, and communities. |
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Sub-national Affiliate in Focus: The Government of the State of Nuevo León, Mexico |
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The process of becoming an age-friendly city or community is not a one-size-fits-all approach – and this is also true for Affiliate Programmes that support the development of age-friendly cities and communities. A successful strategy to build age-friendly environments must consider local, national, and regional contexts together.
As the newest sub-national Affiliate to the Global Network, IEPAM acts as a supporting structure that connects the work of local initiatives with Mexico’s National Institute of Geriatrics and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). For example, IEPAM helps municipalities conduct baseline assessments inline with WHO’s age-friendly framework and use the results to design context-specific actions to foster more age-friendly environments.
A big bienvenido to IEPAM and the Government of Nuevo León, Mexico! |
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Member in Focus: Municipality of Alexandroupolis, Greece |
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Of course, we can't forget our member cities and communities that give the Global Network its vitality and diversity. This issue, we're giving a warm welcome to the first city from Greece to join the WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities – the Municipality of Alexandroupolis. Καλώς ήρθατε!
Recognizing the unique opportunities and challenges of remote communities in responding to the needs of older persons, the Municipality of Alexandroupolis is committed to integrating characteristics of the Greek Thracian culture within its age-friendly practices – such as skills training groups and home meal delivery services to combat social isolation.
We look forward to Alexandroupolis’ leadership in Greece as its first age-friendly city! |
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Age-friendly Practice in Focus: Senior Policy Monitoring Groups – Seoul, Republic of Korea |
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The meaningful engagement of older people is a central pillar of both WHO’s age-friendly framework and the process of developing and running national programmes for age-friendly cities and communities. So in this newsletter issue, we're highlighting the Senior Policy Monitoring Groups in Seoul, Republic of Korea – a Global Network member.
Run by the Seoul Welfare Foundation in collaboration with Seoul’s Senior Welfare Department, these policy monitoring groups have been running since 2012. They provide a platform for older people to express their views to city officials and actively participate in in policy decisions.
Seoul recently also hosted a WHO Regional Meeting on Building Sustainable Age-friendly Environments in the Western Pacific from 23-24 September 2024. The city of Seoul exemplifies how being a part of the Global Network can connect local, national, regional, and global support to drive concrete actions that create better places in which to grow older. |
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BAGSO: Conference on participatory urban development from an age-friendly perspective (6 November 2024, Germany) |
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Many municipalities are committed to creating an age-friendly, community-centred and future-focused living environment. A key aspect is involving those who best understand what is needed to age well, such as older people and their representative organisations.
This upcoming BAGSO conference is designed for senior citizens‘ representatives, senior citizens’ organisations and initiatives as well as municipal administrations. It will showcase examples of municipal development from Germany and abroad and discuss guidelines, concepts and methods for age-friendly municipal development.
BAGSO is Germany’s Federal Association of Senior Citizen’s Organisations and a member of AGE Platform Europe, a Global Network Affiliate. |
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Government of Singapore: First Asia Pacific Population Health Conference on ‘City for All Ages – Emerging Paradigms’ (28-29 November 2024, Singapore) |
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The inaugural Asia Pacific Population Health Conference will be held in Singapore on 28-29 November 2024, in conjunction with the Asia Pacific Social Prescribing Conference. The event aims to explore innovative and novel strategies that foster health equity and well-being across all age groups in urban settings. Over 70 international and local speakers will be sharing their insights on how to transform cities into inclusive and age-friendly spaces which promote a healthier and more resilient future for urban populations worldwide.
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Government of Western Australia: Unleashing an Age-friendly Ecosystem Conference (4-5 December 2024, Perth, Western Australia) |
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Local Government Professionals Western Australia proudly presents the 2024 Age Friendly Australia National Conference, in collaboration with the State Government of Western Australia - Department of Communities. The conference will showcase successful age-friendly strategies and initiatives from age-friendly communities around the world, best practice examples and feature inspiring speakers from local, national and international organisations, including the WHO.
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Older People’s Commissioner for Wales: Overview of the impact of the work of the Commissioner, 2018–2024 |
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A new report provides an overview of the impact of the work of the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales from August 2018 to August 2024.
This six-year period spanned the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, significant political changes in Wales and the United Kingdom, and growing pressures on the public services that older people rely on. Despite these challenges, as the report shows, Wales made progress in tackling some deep-rooted and longstanding problems experienced by older people, as well as initiating new work to enable older people to age well. |
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Spanish National Programme on Age-friendly Cities (IMSERSO): New qualitative research on the work of the Spanish Network of Age-friendly Cities and Communities |
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This recent study analyses the baseline assessments and action plans available from Spanish municipalities that are members of the Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities. The wealth of local data and information provided by these reports is not only helpful for state and local public policy planning but also as a comparative reference for stakeholders worldwide. This research has been designed by IMSERSO and conducted by the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC).
This report includes an executive summary available in Spanish and English. |
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Updates from the Network Secretariat |
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It’s not too late to become an age-friendly champion: 3rd English Edition of the Age-friendly Environments ECHO learning programme |
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Calling all age-friendly leaders! Do you want to learn more about how to engage with older people, plan strategically, implement, and monitor age-friendly environments? Register for the 3rd English edition of the Age-Friendly Environments (AFE) ECHO Programme (AFE-ECHO): a multi-session learning cycle on WHO’s age-friendly framework, aligned with approaches and guidance from global age-friendly experts.
Registrations are still open to participate in upcoming sessions:
Session 2 | Engage and Understand | 29 October 2024, 8:00am – 8:15am PHST
Session 3 | Plan Strategically | 12 November 2024, 8:00am – 9:15am PHST
Session 4 | Act and Implement | 26 November 2024, 8:00am – 9:15am PHST
Session 5 | Monitor and Evaluate Progress | 10 December 2024, 8:00am – 9:15am PHST
The programme will provide a safe environment where participants can share knowledge and learn from experts and other learners through collaborative problem-solving, to gain the skills necessary to advocate and drive the age-friendly model within their own city and/or community. |
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Global Network Online Workshop: Introduction to Stakeholder Network Mapping and Analysis |
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Do you want to learn how to map and analyse your own network? This online workshop, divided in two sessions (22 and 29 October 2024, 10:30 to 12:30 UTC+0), will provide guidance to Global Network Affiliates and Members on how to conduct Stakeholder Network Mapping and Analysis to inform their work and programmes.
The workshop will focus on key aspects related to the nature of any network, such as its composition and shape, the strength of the connections, centrality(ies) and other relevant characteristics. The workshop will also explain how these programmes can use this information to effectively shape, activate, and sustain stakeholder networks for cross and multisectoral action.
You have the option to register for only Session 1 or both Sessions 1 and 2. Please note that spaces in Session 2 will be limited to 50 people, to allow for interaction between facilitators and participants.
Registration for both workshops will close on Monday 21 October 2024. |
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Launching on 31 October 2024: PAHO/WHO Age-friendly Environments Virtual Training Course |
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Join PAHO/WHO on World Cities Day, 31 October at 10:00 am (EST), for a webinar launching a virtual course aimed at providing knowledge on age-friendly environments, healthy ageing, and the importance of developing cities and communities that foster the abilities of older people.
The course, available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, will focus on age-friendly cities and communities, their key characteristics, the process of implementing concrete actions to transform local environments, and how to join and benefit from membership within the WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities.
The webinar will offer simultaneous translation into English, Spanish, and Portuguese. |
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The Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities at the World Urban Forum 2024 |
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The World Urban Forum (WUF) is organised by the United Nations and UN-Habitat every two years to examine one of the most important transformations experienced by the world today: rapid urbanisation and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies.
This year’s WUF is taking place in Cairo, Egypt from 4-8 November – and representatives from the WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities will be there to remind leaders and decision makers from around the world that age-friendliness is an important way to ensure our environments are better places to grow, live, work, play, and age even as they become more urban.
Explore the WUF’s programme to explore relevant sessions, often offered in hybrid format – including a specific roundtable on older persons on 7 November, 13:30–15:30 EEST. |
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Age-friendly World is a World Health Organization website dedicated to promoting age-friendliness around the world. The World Health Organization Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities (GNAFCC) is a global coalition of cities and communities committed to becoming more age-friendly.
Submit your news on Age-friendly World or get in touch with us at gnafcc@who.int. |
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