Our Region is ageing rapidly. What should we do?
In November, A/Professor Hickman accompanied five other international experts in a WHO WPR Webinar Series, where she spoke to an audience of 22 countries discussing the topic of healthy ageing: “Our region is ageing rapidly. What should we do?” The webinar discussed innovative approaches to ageing, chronic disease and multimorbidity through an investment-return lens which elaborated on the social return and participation of older people as valued members of our communities. The work done by international professionals exploring critical and emerging health topics is essential for improving, understanding and aligning health systems with the needs of older populations.
The World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development at UTS (WHO CC UTS) supports these approaches and the aims of the WHO global strategy and action plan on ageing and health, to transform health systems by addressing each individual’s lifelong health needs. The WHO WPR network provides necessary health and non-health services using a directed and coordinated approach. With the region’s population of people over 60 years projected to almost double from 12-22% by 2050, further research into the ageing population is essential for the field of health, both present and future.
