February 2024

Advancing Immunization Through the Decade of Healthy Ageing

Today, the need for robust adult immunization programs and research is more evident than ever, with older people and those with chronic medical conditions at higher risk of serious life-threatening complications from vaccine-preventable diseases, such as influenza, pneumonia, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), pertussis, and shingles. The IFA has adopted a life course lens to immunization across all bodies of work to align global priorities and contribute to the growing knowledge and narrative on adult immunization.  With attention to adult immunization, the IFA gathers evidence, assesses policy gaps, translates knowledge, and informs adult vaccination at national and international levels. 



In light of this, the IFA Vaccine4Life (V4L) program has launched its strategic report ‘Advancing Immunization Through the Decade of Healthy Ageing’.  The strategic report shines a powerful light on the gaps in vaccination policies for older adults, as well as emerging opportunities.  Through V4L’s work, immunization can be viewed as an opportunity to combat inequities, improve access to immunization, and promote health throughout life, including helping preserve function and prevent death and disability. 

Save the date: Shingle Awareness Week is returning!

The International Federation on Ageing (IFA), in collaboration with GSK, is hosting the third edition of Shingles Awareness Week from 26 February to March 3, 2024. The objective is to raise greater awareness and address the lack of knowledge about the risks and impact of shingles, an illness that up to 1 in 3 people globally will develop in their lifetime. 

IFA’s own Ms. Roxana Badiei, Policy and Advocacy Program Lead, and other international advocacy partners will provide their insight into the risks, complications, and misconceptions surrounding shingles and ageing.  

Tune in to our social media channels to be the first to view their videos and join us in our efforts to raise awareness by liking, commenting, and sharing with your followers.

Stay tuned for an upcoming IFA Webinar during Shingles Awareness Week: “Mapping shingles vaccination to improve advocacy efforts and uptake (Launch of the Shingles Atlas)”

In alignment with Shingles Awareness Week, (26th of February to 3rd of March), the IFA will be launching their Shingles Atlas for Adult Vaccination (SAAV) advocacy tool with an international webinar. 

This webinar aims to bring collective awareness to shingles and its impact amongst older adults, while providing knowledge and practical use of this new advocacy tool and evidence repository, to advance shingles policy. 

IFA looks forward to a great session with expert speakers on shingles and advocacy as well as an opportunity for a robust discussion on shingles and vaccination advocacy and policy.

Calling all Civil Society! Last Chance to Register for the IFA’s Shingles Awareness Week Support Session!

Despite shingles posing a significant risk to the health of older adults, shingles vaccine uptake is low in Canada. To help coordinate a robust civil society response during Shingles Awareness Week (SAW) 2024, civil society organizations interested in engaging in SAW are invited to attend the following support session where representatives can receive access to adaptable SAW resources to share with their networks.

Date: 6 February

Time: 12.00 pm (EST) hosted by the IFA

Register below to attend this dynamic virtual support session or contact Policy and Project Coordinator Cera Cruise (ccruise@ifa.ngo ) for more information! 

Webinar Series: Addressing musculoskeletal conditions: an opportunity for health systems globally

In 2019, musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions such as back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis, contributed to 17% of all years lived with disability globally across the life course and accounted for the largest proportion of need for rehabilitation compared to other health conditions.

To raise awareness about the magnitude of MSK conditions and discuss a way forward to give more attention to this important area, WHO will be hosting a webinar series on Addressing musculoskeletal conditions: an opportunity for health systems globally with the following objectives: 

• To give an overview of the MSK Global Burden series publications as part of launching the Lancet Rheumatology theme issue on global musculoskeletal health.
• To declare the dates and agenda for the upcoming MSK meeting and foster targeted discussions regarding the strategic progression of the MSK initiative. 

Date: 28 February 2024

Time: 8.00 am (EST) hosted by WHO. 

Call for input: 

The Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, Dr. Claudia Mahler, has been tasked by the United Nations Human Rights Council to report on developments, challenges and protection gaps in the realization of the rights of older persons.

The Independent Expert will focus her next thematic report on legal capacity and informed consent of older persons, the findings of which will be presented to the 57th session of the Human Rights Council in September 2024.

Recognizing that older people may be wrongly deprived of their rights to exercise legal capacity, live autonomously and give informed consent as a result of perceived vulnerability, this report will provide a catalogue of good practices put in place by Governments, as well as an analysis of the gaps in the existing framework and the challenges faced by relevant stakeholders.

To contribute to the Independent Expert’s report or to learn more about her mandate please click on the button below.

Learn more about the World Health Organization (WHO)’s 154th Executive Board Meeting (EB154) Constituency Statement on Agenda Item 6. Universal Health Coverage.

This is a joint statement coordinated by NCD Alliance and supported by multiple organizations such as:

Global Alliance for Tobacco Control (GATC), formerly the Framework Convention Alliance on Tobacco Control (FCA)

HelpAge International (HelpAge)

International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA)

International Federation on Ageing (IFA)

International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP)

International Pharmaceutical Students Federation (IPSF)

Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF,)

The International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP)

The Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind – Sightsavers (Sightsavers, Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)

World Cancer Research Fund International (WCRF)

International, Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA)



The IFA, under the framework of The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing and supporting the work in the Americas of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), is conscious that increased representation from the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) subregion is needed to ensure that the meaningful voices and contributions from these countries are appropriately represented and reflected across the Decade.

With this in mind the IFA together with PAHO have established the Fostering CSO Engagement in the LAC Subregion Initiative, with the aim of identifying and bringing together organizations across a wide range of sectors and disciplines who have an interest and a responsibility to create an environment that enables older people to do what they have reason to value and to better understand the resources that may be helpful in supporting these efforts.  

We encourage and invite you to ensure your voice is heard by completing the short survey below. We appreciate your time and hope that you and your organization join this exciting global movement of CSOs working together to ensure the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing is a success!

IFA Global Café Archive

If you were unable to attend any of the IFA Global Café sessions, we have great news for you! All past sessions, along with valuable resources and materials, are now accessible on our website. Whether you're interested in exploring specific topics or simply want to catch up on the insightful discussions, you can conveniently view the recorded sessions at your leisure.

We invite you to visit our website to experience the wealth of knowledge and expertise shared by our distinguished speakers and panelists. Don't miss this opportunity to engage with the thought-provoking content from the IFA Global Café series.

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