A need for inclusive digital solutions for older people
As the global population ages, ensuring the health and well-being of older adults becomes increasingly urgent. The United Nations estimates that the population aged over 60 years will reach 2.1 billion by 2050, nearly doubling from 2020. This demographic shift poses serious challenges for public health systems and social services. With rising life expectancy and declining birth rates, societies must adapt to meet the needs of older people. WHO defines healthy ageing as the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well-being in older age. This involves creating supportive environments and opportunities that allow people to live healthy, active lives as they age.
Digital health technologies present new opportunities to support healthy ageing. These tools include telemedicine, wearable devices, mobile applications and remote monitoring systems. Their benefits include improved access to health-care services, better management of chronic diseases, increased independence and better overall health outcomes for older adults. For instance, telemedicine can help reduce the need for hospital visits, while wearable devices can monitor vital signs and alert caregivers to potential health complications.
At the same time, integrating digital health services into the lives of older adults poses several challenges related to accessibility, digital literacy, privacy and personalization. It is essential to address these challenges to ensure that digital health interventions are inclusive and effective.
Age-friendly environments should enable older adults to live independently and participate fully in their communities. The WHO Public Health Framework for Healthy Ageing emphasizes the importance of creating such environments and encourages governments to develop policies and practices that promote the use of digital health technologies, while also recognizing the need for non-digital interventions.
The Regional Digital Health Action Plan for the WHO European Region highlights the role of digital health in enhancing the quality of life for older adults and reducing health disparities.
The webinar
The 1-hour event will convene international experts to raise awareness and share practical information about the role of digital health in promoting healthy ageing. Participants will learn about high-quality practices in the implementation of digital technologies and their potential to transform health care for older adults.
By highlighting the benefits and challenges associated with digital health and ageing, the webinar seeks to foster a deeper understanding and encourage the adoption of digital solutions to support health and well-being for everyone.
The event will be hosted in English and Russian. It is open to the public, including digital health developers, health and care workers, policy-makers, researchers, and representatives of advocacy groups. Please use the registration link if you are interested in taking part.
The Decoding Data and Digital Health webinar series is supported by the European Commission (Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety) through the action “Supporting Member States in the WHO European Region in strengthening health information systems and boosting health data governance”.