Consultation on Advancing Technological Innovation for Older Populations in Asia Kobe, Japan
WHO Centre for Health Development in Kobe hosted the first Consultation on Advancing Technological Innovations for Older Populations in Asia.
Ageing has now become one of the world’s greatest challenges and hence prime ground for innovations. A WHO priority is to enable aging population to remain healthy, active and independent for as long as possible. Medical and Assistive devices are important tools to help achieve these goals.
With initial funding from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, WHO has commissioned tree initial systematic reviews of the needs of older people for medical and assistive devices in height WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) countries.
This consultation assembled more than 35 participants representing academia, industry, patients, communities, NGO and experts to discuss the work in progress of the systematic reviews, the known priority needs of older populations for medical and assistive devices, gather additional gaps knowledge on these needs, means how best to use this information to drive further technological and social innovation to create solutions.
After two days of consultation the comity identified the issues to consider advancing technological innovation along with addressing maximizing affordability, removing barriers to innovation and tailoring for individual country contexts and needs in the Asian-Western Pacific Region.
This meeting is paving the way for further consultation, normative work and scientific research to improve knowledge as well as service delivery of health related devices for elderly in Asia and all over the World.