IFA VoltAge | December 2017
Click the envelope to read the holiday address from the President of the IFA

  Year-End Updates from the IFA
DR Barometer

The IFA is partnering with the International Association for Prevention of Blindness, the International Diabetes Federation, and Bayer to host an interdisciplinary workshop to mobilize knowledge to increase screening and treatment for people with diabetes.  

The meeting will be held in Spring 2018 in Rome, Italy.

To learn more about the DR Barometer campaign, click here.
Copenhagen Summit on Cognitive Reserve

The IFA is currently planning the Copenhagen Summit on Cognitive Reserve, an international high-level knowledge exchange and policy dialogue on the concept of cognitive reserve in the context of population ageing.  The Summit will be held in October 2018 in Copenhagen, Denmark. 

To learn more about the Copenhagen Summit on Cognitive Reserve, click here.
Age-Friendly Innovation Exchange

The recent WHO/IFA webinar on "Rural and Remote Age-friendly Communities"  was presented by Dr. Verena Menec (Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, College of Medicine at the University of Manitoba).

During this webinar, Dr Menec examined the difference between rural and remote environments, explaining that many people live in rural communities, including 42% of Canadians 60 years or older.  Dr Menec also explored the reasons why it is necessary to make sure that these environments are adapted to the needs of older people, and enable older people to live independently.

The recording for this webinar can be found by clicking here.  

The PDF presentation of this webinar can be found by clicking here

Two webinars are forthcoming in February 2018.  To learn more about these and other AFIX initiatives, join the AFIX mailing list.
Adult Vaccination

In January 2018, the IFA will partner with DaneAge Association to host the Nordic 'Adult Vaccination: A Public Health Priority' expert meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark. 

This meeting will bring together professionals from academia, patient organisations, public health and those in the fields of vaccines, health economics and ageing, with the primary purpose of better understanding how best to advance the dialogue on adult vaccination in at-risk populations, and to identify areas of good practice at a country-level.

The IFA will publish a report, including key messages and next steps, following this meeting.

Click here to read the previous report for the 'Adult Vaccination: A Public Health Priority' meeting in London.

World Health Organization

The IFA participated as a Non-State Actor in the fourth special session of the World Health Organization Executive Board by submitting oral and written statements advocating against the omission of older persons in the thirteenth general programme of work.  According to the WHO , around 90% of the Non-State Actors' comments to the session expressed concern that population ageing was not emphasized. 
Photographers and holiday lovers across Canada are invited to join the IFA in celebrating eye health this holiday season! You can win a brand new pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses, valued at $250 CAN.

For more information and full contest rules, click the image above.
Addressing Inequalities of Older LGBTQI People Webinar Series

In November 2017, the IFA hosted the third webinar in a series created to address inequalities of older LGBTQI people around the world, which focused on the experience of older LGBTQI people in Latin America and was presented in Spanish. 

The aim of the webinar - which was moderated by Mr Michael Adams (CEO, SAGE) and presented by Ms Karla Isabel Acuña Salas (Centro de Investigación y Promoción para América Central de Derechos Humanos (CIPAC)), Mr Frank Evelio Arteaga (Manodiversa) and Ms Andrea Ayala (Espacio de Mujeres Lesbianas por la Diversidad (Esmules)) - was to discuss some of the issues, challenges, and barriers older LGBTQI persons face in Latin America and promising approaches to supporting their rights.  

The IFA appreciates the participation of all those interested and working towards improving the health and well-being of older LGBTQI people around the world.  

For more information on the webinar and to watch the recording click here.

Perspectives on Working at the IFA

In 2017, the IFA was pleased to welcome Clara Castoldi, a third-year student of the Institute of Political Studies in Aix-en-Provence, France, as an intern. 

Clara had kindly agreed to provide an inside look at her experiences working with the IFA.

For 5 months I have been working at the International Federation on Ageing (IFA) as an intern.  I am currently studying International Relations, History, and Political Science in France, and applied for this internship hoping to develop the skills needed to become an NGO advocate. 

My internship is coming to an end, and I am glad I lived this experience.  It was my first time in a professional environment, which was very challenging, especially as English is not my first language.  I learned a lot about working in an international NGO and about the fight for the rights and health of older persons.  There has been a shift in my perception of older adults, because I became much more aware of their contribution to society.  I also gained knowledge on the way organizations interact, especially between the IFA and the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO).  

To read Clara's full blog about her experiences at the IFA, please click here.
IFA 2018 Master Classes 

Want to get even more involved with the 14th Global Conference on Ageing? Master Classes are specialty day-long workshops which are being presented by the IFA in advance on the Conference, on August 7, 2018.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for delegates to learn and engage with experts in one  of seven highly specialized workshops, which focus on some of the key challenges in the field of ageing today.

Master Class topics include:
  • Addressing the Sexual Rights of Older People (Dr Sharron Hinchliff, University of Sheffield and Dr Catherine Barrett, Celebrate Ageing)
  • Ageism (Alana Officer, World Health Organization)
  • Elder Friendly Care (Dr Samir Sinha and associates, Mount Sinai Hospital)
  • HIV and Ageing Unpacked (Kate Murzin, Realize)
  • Implementing Integrated Care (Dr Walter Wodchis and associates, University of Toronto)
  • Innovations in the Care of Dementia Carers (Dr Joel Sadavoy and associates, Mount Sinai Hospital)
  • Knowledge Mobilisation (Dr David J. Phipps, York University)
To learn more about individual Master Classes, and to reserve your space now, please click here.

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