WHO global campaign to combat ageism! Survey NEW DEADLINE
Global Ageism Report and Survey
We encourage you to complete this survey https://share.decadeofhealthyageing.org/ageism-haveyoursay from the World Health Organisation (WHO /OMS) to help guide the next steps of the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism. It takes only 10 minutes and is available in French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian! The questions ask what you know about the campaign so far, if you have been involved and how you might wish to get involved, and what resources the WHO team could produce to help. You can complete it as an individual clinician or researcher or as part of your national organisation. All views will be welcome. But be quick, the deadline is 08/03/2023, (March 8th).
This campaign, Global Campaign to Combat Ageism is one of four Action areas of the UN Decade of Health Ageing. 2021-2030, and endorsed by all the members. It was launched in 2021 with the publication of the Global report on ageism (who.int), along with many fantastic resources of evidence, guidance, and educational materials. The work of the campaign should also support the other three Action areas of the Decade:
- developing communities that foster older people’s abilities (in work, play and travel for example)
- delivering person-centred integrated care and primary health services responsive to older people’s needs, with help from ICOPE assessment and interventions guidance
- providing long-term care for older people who need it.
Ageism is an important issue for clinicians and researchers. It is a key social determinant of health, affecting lifelong experiences, opportunities and risk which directly impact the biomedical as well psychosocial factors that contribute to ageing and age associated diseases. And during old age, it negatively affects access and the quality of healthcare provided to respond to these challenges.
Improving healthcare for older people is not always popular with everybody as ageism can also create divisions between younger and older citizens, so where resources are tight, their needs may seem to be competing. And older people themselves may have ageist attitudes which prevent them seeking help.
The Ageism proposes three related definitions, based on high quality research and stakeholder engagement:
- Ageist stereotypes -how we think,
- Ageist prejudice - how we feel,
- Ageist discrimination - how we act.
Any or all of these can be directed towards people, on the basis of their age by institutions, in personal relationships or internalised.
The Campaign recommends three strategies to combat ageism:
- Law and policies – at national and local levels, in whatever organisations are relevant to addressing discrimination, inequality and human rights,
- Education for all ages to dispel misconceptions and counter stereotypes,
- Intergenerational contact to support each other’s needs, build understanding and solidarity.
What can we do?
When I completed the survey, I realised that I had done nothing practical to support it. The resources on the Campaign website are great but they need to be disseminated and used. So, maybe consider two things your society might do. Perhaps the simplest is to make sure the Report is easy to access in your website and those of related organisations. Secondly, maybe identify one health policy or programme in your country or region or even your place of work that you think is affected by ageist discrimination and make proposals for what needs changing.
(Finbarr Martin, Adviser to Exec Board)
