The Clinical Consortium on Healthy Ageing (CCHA), a forum of global experts that advances research and clinical practice related to Healthy Ageing, was established by WHO in 2015. The consortium meets as a full group once a year, with additional smaller working group meetings organised as needed. The 2021 meeting took place on the 3 and 4 November, being held virtually for the second year in a row. Approximately 70 experts from all regions around the world joined the meeting, alongside around 30 colleagues from WHO’s headquarters, regional and country offices.
The objectives of the meeting were to:
- inform activities of the Decade of Healthy Ageing
- discuss findings from the validation study of the intrinsic capacity concept
- report on the ready phase results of the Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) approach implementation pilot study and discuss the next phase
- introduce work on oral health
- discuss the continuum of care for healthy ageing.
The meeting was organised around six panel discussions involving 21 speakers from a range of disciplines and geographic areas. A summary of the panels is provided below:
- Panel 1:
Decade of Healthy Ageing, 2021-30: the participants considered how the work of the CCHA can contribute to the implementation of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021-30. Speakers shared highlights of key areas of work for the Decade, including the launch of the first global report on ageism; the development of the Decade platform, an inclusive, collaborative space where knowledge can be accessed, shared, and interacted with; and work to develop an M&E framework to monitor the Decade. - Panel 2:
Validation of intrinsic capacity: presenters on this panel shared that the structural validity of the intrinsic capacity concept proposed by WHO, is consistent in older people in China and Brazil, data suggests that intrinsic capacity is a strong predictor of loss of activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living. - Panel 3:
Biomarkers: the participants heard about the growing interest in gerosciences which are aimed at addressing biological aging to prevent or delay the onset of chronic conditions, and in new approaches to measuring the impact of exposure to the environment. - Panel 4:
The increasing burden of oral disease, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) was highlighted - a concern given that oral health is critical for healthy ageing. The new resolution on oral health approved by World Health Assembly provides an opportunity to bring together the agendas of oral health and care for older people. - Panel 5:
ICOPE pilot studies: this panel reviewed the experience and learning from countries that have started to implement WHOs ICOPE approach. Results show the importance of engaging older people, their family, caregivers, and communities in the delivery of care. A key challenge highlighted by speakers focused on workforce capacity, that was further discussed with case studies of capacity building on ICOPE from 4 countries (China, Chile, Cabo Verde, France). - Panel 6:
implementing care: this panel stressed the importance of a person-centred, coordinated, continuum of care, for older people, combining health and social care services and support. Upcoming WHO resources on long-term care were also shared.
Through these expert presentations and the active engagement of meeting participants, several opportunities for potential future action have been identified, both for participants of the CCHA and WHO. These include efforts to collect and analyse data across a range of issues, from further piloting of the ICOPE approach to longitudinal studies on intrinsic capacity in LMICs and data on the monitoring of Decade. Commitments were made to further explore newer areas of work for the CCHA, including oral health and long-term care and, to use the platform for the Decade to share knowledge and make new connections and collaborations.