Healthy Aging
Promoting healthy aging means maximizing everyone’s ability to continue doing the things that matter to them as they grow older. It’s about adding life to years — not just years to life.
By 2030, 1.4 billion people will be aged 60 and over. Yet, the majority of health and care systems worldwide remain unprepared for population aging and associated rises in rates non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and disabilities.
Today, millions of older people are unable to access the services they need or are pushed into poverty doing so, missing critical opportunities for promoting healthy aging across the life-course.
We believe everyone should be able to enjoy healthy aging. Everyone’s right to health, to live independently, and to participate in society must be protected and promoted. Older people should be able to stay physically and socially active, feel connected to their communities, and continue to contribute — whatever their age or circumstances.
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Healthy Aging for Us All
Achieving Universal Health Coverage Fit for an Aging World
Driving Equitable Action on Non-Communicable Diseases
Community Healthy Aging Approaches and Older People’s Indispensable Role
What We Do
We work in 98 countries with our global network partners representing more than 199 organizations at the community, national, and global levels to promote healthy aging and ensure care, dignity, and inclusion for older people worldwide.
Our community-based approaches to healthy aging engage older people in their health and wellbeing, and empower them to claim their right to services that meet their needs.
Our approach prioritizes those furthest behind so that everyone, everywhere can access the health and care services they need, regardless of age. To achieve this, we:
- Advocate for age-inclusive policies and systems, including Universal Health Coverage fit for an aging world
- Promote community-based approaches to health and wellbeing through policy, programs, and partnerships
- Influence and provide expertise to support the development of universal, rights based and person-centered long-term care and support systems
- Work with partners at all levels to ensure older people’s right to health is respected, protected, and fulfilled
HelpAge Healthy Ageing Platform
To catalyze action globally, HelpAge International and more than 100 partners launched the HelpAge Healthy Ageing Platform.
The platform connects country-based partners to build capacity, share knowledge, and drive collective action with and for older people — from grassroots to global levels. Our vision is to embed healthy aging into policy and practice at every level so every older person can enjoy health and wellbeing.
Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030)
HelpAge is an official non-state actor in relations with the World Health Organization and an active contributor to the Decade of Healthy Ageing.
We support the transformation of systems and societies so they promote healthy aging across the life course.
Our priorities include age-inclusive, universal, and equitable healthcare services and action on the wider social determinants of health.
