A national multi-stakeholder forum or committee on ageing and health is crucial because it facilitates comprehensive collaboration among diverse sectors and stakeholders to address the complex needs of older people. By promoting intersectoral cooperation, this forum ensures that policies and services are holistic, responsive, and aligned with the evolving needs of older populations. It empowers older people, families, and caregivers to participate in decision-making processes actively, advocates for their rights, monitors progress, enhances emergency preparedness, and fosters innovation in ageing-related initiatives. Ultimately, it contributes to creating inclusive societies where older people can age with dignity, access essential services, and participate fully in community life.
Definition:
A national multi-stakeholder forum or committee on ageing and health is a collaborative platform established by the government or relevant authorities to facilitate engagement and coordination among diverse stakeholders involved in addressing the needs of older people, their families, and caregivers across various sectors. This forum typically includes representatives from sectors such as health, social protection/welfare, labour, education, urban development, rural development, emergency services, and others.
These forums can document needs and expectations, and facilitate the exchange of information, good practice and tools across sectors and different actors. The participation of both civil society and different government sectors is essential to the success of any policy and many actions on ageing.
Disaggregation:
WHO Region and Income Group
Method of measurement
Calculating this indicator requires country-reported data on
a national multi-stakeholder forum. At the global level, these data are periodically collected through the Decade Process Evaluation Survey.
Method of estimation:
The percentage of countries in the region that responded "Yes", "No" or "Not Reported".
While having a multi-stakeholder forum or committee is a positive development, it does not guarantee that it is actively functioning, adequately resourced, or effectively engaging all relevant stakeholders. In decentralized countries, these forums may be implemented at subnational levels, with variations in the type of stakeholders involved and the frequency of engagement. The indicator also fails to evaluate the quality of stakeholder engagement, the inclusiveness of older people, families, and caregivers, or how well these forums or committees influence policy and practice. Additionally, differences in the structure and function of these forums across countries can make comparisons challenging, as they may differ significantly in scope, authority, and effectiveness.
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