What do we need to know to improve the lives of older people, their families, and their communities? Through an interactive and engaging discussion, this online event highlighted the importance of knowledge sharing across sectors, disciplines, and regions to work together to foster healthy ageing across the globe. The event launched the United Nations (UN) Decade of Healthy Ageing knowledge exchange Platform: an online, multilingual collaboration space that helps everyone find, share, and produce the knowledge they need to create a world where all people can live long, healthy lives.

In the online event, you will:
 

• Hear from leaders from across the UN and World Health Organization (WHO) on why knowledge sharing is crucial to #LeaveNoOneBehind, including older people;
• Listen in on a facilitated roundtable discussion on knowledge sharing for healthy ageing, with government, UN, civil society, private sector, and academic representatives;
• Learn more about how the Decade Platform can help you find, share, and produce knowledge in collaboration with others for your work to foster healthy ageing;
• Have the opportunity to interact with the roundtable participants and other attendees by asking questions and starting conversations.

Who did we hear from during the event?

Opening Remarks:
 

• Dr Etienne Krug - Director, Department for Social Determinants of Health, World Health Organization
• Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari - Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, World Health Organization
• Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge - Regional Director for Europe, World Health Organization
• Dr Carissa F. Etienne - Regional Director for the Americas, World Health Organization
• Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh - Regional Director for South-East Asia, World Health Organization
• Dr Takeshi Kasai - Regional Director for the Western Pacific, World Health Organization

Roundtable Participants:
 

• Dr Jane Barratt (Moderator) - Secretary General, International Federation on Ageing
• Dr Teiji Takei - Assistant Minister for Global Health and Welfare, Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare, Japan
• Dr Veli-Mikko Niemi - Director General, Department of Communities and Functional Capacity, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland
• Ms Angela Mwai - Chief (a.i.), Human Rights and Social Inclusion, UN-Habitat
• Ms Caitlin Littleton - Healthy Ageing Portfolio Lead, HelpAge International
• Ms Kelly McCain - Head of Healthcare Initiatives, World Economic Forum
• Professor Tracey Howe - Co-Director, Cochrane Campbell Global Ageing Partnership
• Dr Vivian Welch - Co-Director, Cochrane Campbell Global Ageing Partnership
• Mr Kazuki Yamada - Administrator, UN Decade of Healthy Ageing Platform, World Health Organization

Who is this online event for?

This event is for everyone: governments, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, private sector, academia, the media, older people, and more.

To improve the lives of older people, their families, and their communities, we need to work together. Everyone is welcome on the Decade Platform to build the collaborations we need to foster healthy ageing.

Join the online conversation about the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing by following @UNDecadeAgeing on Twitter, or using the hashtag #AddingLifeToYears.

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The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) is 10 years of concerted, catalytic, and collaborative action across governments, civil society, international agencies, professionals, academia, the media, and the private sector to improve the lives of older people, their families, and their communities. The Decade was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly on 14 December 2020 and is led by the World Health Organization in collaboration with other UN agencies.