EWAHA 2020 has kicked-off! Day 1 wrap-up
The first day of the Week of Active and Healthy Ageing Week has started with two dynamic sessions providing a regional and global perspective of the ageing with the participation of high-level experts! The AAL Programme would like to thank all of the participants, attendees and organisers for the great start of the first-ever EWAHA!
Opening session:
The opening session was an insightful opening with the guest speakers Mrs. Dubravka Šuica, Vice President of the European Commission, and Mrs. Claudia Mahler, the Independent Expert for the United Nations on the Enjoyment of all Human Rights by Older Persons.
The fruitful conversation centered around the reflections on the learnings from the current Covid-19 crisis, the thoughts on how future strategies and activities both from the UN and EU can pave the way for positive change, as well as discussing the ways the stakeholders can improve and address the demographic change in the upcoming decade.
Many cross-cutting areas were put at the forefront as key to create positive change, namely intergenerational solidarity, silver economy and ensuring that human rights are for everybody, including older adults, and finally, ensure that they are the agents of change themselves.
Two key aspects emerged, as pointed out by the European Commission’s Vice-President Dubravka Suica highlighted in her speech, namely:
- We must work together as much as possible.
- Rights have no age limit!
Session on the Perspective on the World Health organisation:
The morning continued with a special session on the Decade of Healthy Ageing: Vision of the World Health Organisation with the participation with the participation of Mrs. Ritu Sadana Head of Unit Ageing and Health, Mr. Manfred Huber, Coordinator, Healthy Ageing, Disability and Long-term Care from World Health Organization, and Mrs. Heidrun Mollenkopf, Vice President of AGE Platform Europe.
The session presented the view and plan for the upcoming Decade inclduing the Baseline Report that come out at the end of this year, as well as provided the perspective of Age Platform Europe. The discussion was focused on the topic of how the current Covid -19 pandemic influences the Decade, as well as focusing on the role of stakeholders and how they can participate and contribute.
Tune in for the Day Two of EWAHA!
The second day will start at 14.15 with a session focusing on Accelerating market adoption of digital solutions for healthy ageing!
Moreover, in the afternoon, you will have the chance to attend the Smart Ageing Prize final ceremony and find out which of the Senior Entrepreneurship ideas will win 35.000 euros! The ceremony starts at 15.15!
Remember to register and access the sessions through the official EWAHA2020 homepage!