Building leadership and capacity for the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030)

2021-2030 is the United Nations (UN) Decade of Healthy Ageing: a global collaboration led by WHO that brings together governments, civil society, international agencies, professionals, academia, the media, and the private sector to improve the lives of older people, their families, and the communities in which they live. 

To generate meaningful and lasting change during the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, leaders are needed to generate commitment for healthy ageing and drive coordinated actions across sectors and stakeholders to ensure older people are not left behind. Development or updating of national strategies on healthy ageing that promote intersectoral approaches including but going beyond health (e.g. labour, community development, education) are needed to enable people to live long and healthy lives.

Stakeholders across all levels and areas of society also need to be equipped with the relevant skills, competencies and knowledge to foster healthy ageing and enable older people to be and do what they value for as long as possible.

Recognizing the role of leadership and capacity building as key enablers of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, Member States have requested WHO to work together with partners to develop learning opportunities, mentorship programmes, and other tools that can help create a global community of change agents working to create a world where all people can live long, healthy lives.