October 2022
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Welcome back
This month’s featured highlight is celebrating World Cities Day and all of the age-friendly environments of the region. See below for more information.
World Cities Day 2022
World Cities Day, celebrated on the 31st of October, is a unique moment to highlight the work that cities and communities around the world do to promote the well-being of their citizens.
This year’s theme “Better city, better life. Act local to go global” invites us to reflect on the transformative power of the sum of small actions that generate changes and that produce a great impact and progress at the national, regional and global levels.
The Decade of Healthy Aging 2021-2030 promotes actions in cities and communities to consolidate environments that enable the capabilities of older people, creating a better place for people to grow, live, work, play and age healthy.
A city in which to age healthily is a place in which all people, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation and/or health condition, can participate actively and meaningfully throughout their lives.
The Americas region is the region with the most members in the WHO Global Network of Age-friendly cities and communities, with more than 800 cities and communities committed to being age-friendly.
Visit the Network and learn more about exciting experiences and practices, like the Games of the Best Age in Jaguariúna, Brazil. For more information about age-friendly cities and communities and their best practices in the Region of the Americas, click below.
Highlighted publications
Let's go! Steps for engaging older people and improving communities for all ages
Individuals and small groups of people can take meaningful actions to make their communities better support residents as they age. This toolkit is intended to help communities begin or advance their age-friendly journey—starting wherever they are, but always with the involvement of older people. It includes innovations from communities throughout the Americas that are low-cost and replicable.
Snapshot of Age-friendly Cities and Communities in the Americas during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned
Most COVID-19 related deaths in the Americas have occurred in people aged 70 years and over. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has further revealed the fragility of older adults, as well as of the health systems and communities that support them. However, age-friendly environments and related initiatives have played a key role in the timely adaptation to and mitigation of the effects of COVID-19. Various age-friendly cities and communities in Latin America participated in a survey aiming to understand the role of such initiatives in the Region, the impact of being part of the global network, and to present best practices adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
NEW: Portfolio: Evidence-based Programs for a Person-centered, Integrated Care for Older People at the Primary Health-care Level
This new publication presents several interventions/programs that are evidence-based and enable healthy aging. The selected programs presented in this document have the objective to improve or maintain older adults’ intrinsic capacity at the community level, focusing on one or more of its main domains. The portfolio focuses mainly on locomotor, psychological and cognitive capacity, as well as self-care and caregiver support. Through the identification of declines in the intrinsic capacity it is possible to create a personal care plan, which will help to prevent or ameliorate declines, support disease management, as well as promote one's active participation in their own care, as supported by the WHO Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE).
Celebrating Puerto Rico's involvement in the Decade of Healthy Aging
The annual Conference on Healthy Aging in Puerto Rico was carried out in October 19th 2022. During this conference, it was announced the official declaration of the governor on the engagement in the Decade of Healthy Aging as a local proclamation.
Congratulations to all involved!
Diabfrail LatAm
Currently, approximately 400 older adults are participating of the project in Colombia, Chile (Requinoa), Peru, Mexico (Tijuana and San Jose Potosi).
The project has the objective of supporting older adults with diabetes to maintain functional ability though a multidimensional program. The exercise component of the program is based on Vivifrail. Visit the website for more information, including to learn more on the new passport of exercises for “FIT” older adults.
The 1st National Congress of Age-friendly Cities and Communities in Costa Rica
The 1st National Congress of Age-friendly cities and communities in Costa Rica was held from the 19-20 of October. The objective of this congress was to facilitate the exchange of experiences and the development of assertive actions in age-friendly environments in Costa Rica for the promotion of active and healthy aging.
Join us in celebrating the 23 Costa Rican community representatives who received their age-friendly cities and communities certificates. Congratulations!
Webinar spotlight:
The Healthy Life Course Unit of PAHO, the Department of Social Inclusion of the Secretariat for Access to Rights and Equity of the OAS and the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima organized the Round Table "Older Persons in the Americas: Advances and Challenges" on October 3, 2022.
See more videos related to healthy aging here:
Upcoming events:s:
Other information:
World Cities Day 2022 - Global observance
- 31 October 2022
This event is co-hosted by UN-Habitat and Shanghai Municipal Government in the People’s Republic of China. Speakers will include high-level dignitaries, international experts, community leaders, and innovators. The event will take place in a hybrid format and will feature an official opening ceremony followed by high-level roundtable discussions.
Building a Better Immunity: A Pathway to Healthy Longevity
- 10 November 2022
- 10:00 am - 11:30 am (EST)
This event will discuss the implications for the present and future of the life course approach in the fields of medicine and public health, as well as to better understand the existing applications of this approach to immunization programs in the region and the world.
Age-friendly cities and communities in the Americas
As of October 28, there are a total of 839 age-friendly cities and communities in the Region of the Americas.
Our newest members include San José, Costa Rica and Nackawic, Canada. Welcome!
To learn more about age-friendly initiatives in the Region and worldwide, please visit the WHO Global Network of Age-friendly Cities and Communities webpage.
