January 2019
New IFA United Nations Representative
The IFA is pleased to announce the addition of a new United Nations (UN) representative based at the Geneva duty station for 2019,  Dr. Xenia Scheil Adlung . 

Dr. Scheil-Adlung will join Dr. Kelly Fitzgerald in Geneva to advocate on behalf of the IFA across UN agencies in Geneva including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Human Rights Council (HRC), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the International Labour Organization (ILO). 

An expert in social protection policies and global health; Dr. Scheil-Adlung has led a distinguished career path with the ILO as well as the Federal Government of Germany. Her experience with and knowledge of important age-related policy issues will make a great contribution to the IFA’s role as a strong advocate for promoting and protecting the rights and health of older persons.
World Hearing Day 2019
Did you know hearing loss is the most common sensory deficit among older people? Hearing loss impairs communication which has the ability to significantly impact everyday life, resulting in increases in loneliness, social isolation, and dependence. Furthermore, people with hearing loss are at a much higher risk of cognitive impairment than those with normal hearing, resulting in increased an increased risk of dementia.

Many older people live with unidentified hearing loss, often failing to realize that they are missing out on certain sounds and words. Checking one’s hearing is the first step towards addressing the issue.

On World Hearing Day, 3 March 2019, the World Health Organization will raise awareness on the importance of early identification and intervention to hearing loss by launching a free app that allows people to check their hearing. 

What will your organization do to raise awareness on the importance of hearing to healthy ageing on World Hearing Day? Let the IFA know by contacting macton@ifa-fiv.org , and registering your event here .
Championing Change with Community Based Volunteers
Community Development Volunteers for Technical Assistance (CDVTA) is an IFA member and community partner that advocates for the rights of older people in Cameroon. With a staff of 8 and a network of over 450 volunteers,  CDVTA Director (and IFA Board Member) Mr Francis Njuakom  is proud of the work done for older people in Cameroon “because [they] are the only organization in [their] country that is actively engaged in face-to-face work with older people.”

With the help of engaged volunteers CDVTA has been able to build a strong network of engaged citizens, helping them to assert their rights and advocate on a range of policy issues. Most notably CDVTA called for a National Policy on Ageing which proposes improving health, a universal non-contributory pension, social well-being initiatives and essential services for older people in Cameroon. It has since been validated by their government.

IFA Side Event at 57 th  Commission for Social Development
The side event, ‘Fostering Resilience across the Life Course through Universal Health Coverage’ (UHC) will showcase UHC as a policy measure for equitable promotion of health and resilience across the life course. Expert presentations and discussions will illustrate how aligning health systems to the needs of older persons can help support sustainable development, including disaster risk reduction. The underpinning concepts of UHC, integrated care, and healthy ageing will first be introduced by the IFA. Case studies of universal health schemes as well as the perspectives of the WHO and civil society will be highlighted.

Click here  for more about CSocD57 and the full list of side events.
Upcoming Events
144th Session of the WHO Executive Board
24 January - 1 February
Geneva

The 144th Session of the WHO Executive Board includes discussions on universal health coverage and specific provisions that would help enable healthy ageing. Click below for statement from the IFA and the full agenda.
Fighting the Flu through Targeted Awareness Campaigns
30-31 January, 2019
Berlin, Germany

The meeting will gather experts in multimodal awareness raising efforts such as social media, digital marketing, knowledge mobilization and behavioural science to expand and improve current approaches to raising vaccination public awareness, build public will, and further public understanding of the risks associated with influenza.  
LTC Alliance
Aging in Place Conference
28 February - 2 March, 2019
Florence, Italy

The Long-Term Care Alliance for Aging in Place is an inter- disciplinary, multi-sector consortium established to create a vision for how society will substantially enhance the quality of life of older adults and provide effective supports and care for those with cognitive and physical frailty . The first interdisciplinary and multi-sector conference devoted to Ageing in Place will take place in Italy this February.
Golden Age Expo and Summit 2019
"Age Beyond Borders"
8-10 March, 2019
Hong Kong

The three-day event will pool together over 100 exhibitors and 50 internationally renowned speakers from China and 10 other countries to exchange best practices and insights on innovative models and solutions to meet such a huge demographic shift.
Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing
15-18 April, 2019
United Nations

The window for applying for Accreditation to the UN OEWG on Ageing is now open. If your organization is not already accredited, you are encouraged to apply by 18 February.
Promoting Healthy Ageing Through
Educational Webinars
Working towards a world of healthy older people requires a commitment to translating new and innovative ideas into policy and practice. To encourage continued education for all members and the community at-large, the IFA is hosting multiple webinar series' this year, covering diverse topics that impact older people globally. 

Browse upcoming webinars below and watch for more announcements.
Human Rights of Older Persons and Agenda 2030
Human Rights of Older Persons and Agenda 2030 on 29 January (tomorrow) is the first webinar of the Post-Conference Education Webinar series and will address key areas for implementation of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that ensures it fulfils its mandate for older persons.

Age-Friendly Housing: Promoting healthy spaces for all ages
Age-friendly environments is a global emerging trend attracting the interest of all levels of governments, industry, NGOs and academia. As this trend continues to grow, the IFA in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) is pleased to host an ongoing webinar series addressing trends and themes relating to this topic. The first webinar for 2019 is titled
Age-Friendly Housing: Promoting healthy spaces for all ages on
8 February .

Ageing and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in Canada
Adult vaccination is a vital contributor to healthy ageing without which many adults – especially older adults and those with chronic comorbidities – could see marked decline in functioning from vaccine-preventable diseases such as influenza, pneumonia and shingles.

The first webinar in the Adult Vaccination: A Canadian Perspective series will be on 21 February and will draw on the knowledge of two leading experts in the fields of vaccination, ageing and health to discuss how regular, up-to-date vaccinations can contribute to health and functional ability as we age.

UNITED KINGDOM

Vaccinations and the At-Risk Adult Population of Diabetes
On 6-7 September 2018, the IFA hosted a "Vaccinations and the At-risk Adult Population of Diabetes" expert meeting in cooperation with Diabetes UK, the leading charity dedicated to people with diabetes in the United Kingdom.

Experts in the fields of public health, diabetes, ageing, immunology and sociology gathered in Belfast to discuss the importance of adult vaccination to people with diabetes and determine optimal ways to push the vaccination agenda forward for diabetes organizations.  The following report synthesizes findings from this meeting, arguing the need for cross-sectoral collaboration, educational videos and strategic use of media to increase uptake rates amongst this at-risk population.
UNITED STATES

The Future of Retirement
Learn more here:
Study Reports and Sample Media Coverage

Age Wave, in partnership with Bank of America Merrill Lynch, undertook nine landmark studies focused on all aspects of life in retirement. To complete this body of work, the Age Wave team reviewed thousands of papers, reports and datasets, conducted over 140 expert interviews and 43 focus groups, surveyed 50,000+ respondents, and put in 70,000+ collective work hours. These landmark studies have garnered 10B+ media impressions to date. 

All nine reports followed by a few representative media impressions have been compiled into one document for your convenience.
SWEDEN

Vaccinations and the At-Risk Population of Adults with Heart and Lung Conditions
The “Vaccination and the at-risk population of adults with heart and lung conditions” expert meeting took place in Stockholm, Sweden on 11-12 October 2018. 

This meeting brought together patient organizations and experts in the fields of public health, heart and lung conditions, ageing, immunization and bioethics. Experts at the meeting indicated the need to go beyond words to formulate actions to improve knowledge of and access to vaccination information and vaccines. This report details next steps toward action including important patient education initiatives.