Connecting people, policy, and place to create age-friendly futures.
Globally, age-friendly cities, communities, and practices have become synonymous with an ageing population; these communities foster active ageing, remove physical and social barriers, and promote independence. Age-friendly environments are adaptive throughout their structures and services to increase accessibility and inclusivity of all people within a community, regardless of needs and capacities.
IFA acts as a global influencer of healthy ageing through age-friendly environments, ensuring that population ageing and demographic change are centred within urban development, housing, transport, social policy, and community planning agendas. At the same time, IFA serves as a global connector, embedding age-friendly environments within broader healthy ageing, health systems, long-term care, sensory and brain health, climate resilience, and social development agendas.
The IFA, as a non-State actor in official relations with WHO, also provides direct support as an Affiliate and member of the WHO Secretariat of the Global Network, building on their outstanding knowledge and expertise. IFA in collaboration with the WHO is proud to have developed several age-friendly initiatives that offer support, education, and capacity building to leaders and advocates of the age-friendly framework. These initiatives include the Age-Friendly Communities Summit, Age-friendly Educational Webinar Series, the Mentor AFE Programme, and the multi-cycle Age-Friendly Environments (AFE) ECHO Programme.
A selection of publications, initiatives, and activities related to this area of work.
As this area grows in importance, the IFA is expanding its work through related initiatives, partnerships, and global advocacy, with further activity under development.
Explore all IFA publications, tools, and learning resources.
For many older adults across Europe, pain is something they live with every day affecting how they move, sleep, connect with others, and enjoy life. Yet pain is too often...
On 5 January 2026, U.S. federal health officials announced major changes to the childhood immunisation schedule, moving several vaccines, including rotavirus, influenza,...
The International Federation on Ageing (IFA) invites you to a virtual townhall exploring how different sectors are working together to advance healthy ageing and longevity...