Blogs

Older people’s rights and financial abuse

As a person who has been active in the field of ageing for the past twelve years and involved in lobbying for the new UN convention, participation at the fifth meeting of the Open Working Group for Ageing was...

Preparing for ageing in Southern Africa

I recently attended the tenth Southern African Development Community (SADC) Civil Society Forum conference in Harare, Zimbabwe. Our partner, Zimbabwe Older Persons Organization (ZOPO) also took part, representing older people in Southern Africa. The foru

Gaza crisis: Voices from the field

It has been extremely difficult to get hold of all the items we need to distribute to older people but we have managed it. One time I went out, shooting started all around me and 24 people died in that...

World Humanitarian Day: Humanitarian Heroes

Today, 19 August, is World Humanitarian Day - the day in 2003 when 22 aid workers were killed when the UN headquarters in Baghdad were bombed. It's a day to an occasion to remember all the people who have lost...

Gaza crisis: We can’t afford food or medicine

Mr Shehada is 74 and an ADA leader living in Gaza. A member of the Arab Union of Writers and the Palestinian Writers and Journalists Union, Mr Shehada has spent years campaigning for the most vulnerable. He is a...

Gaza crisis: So many people have lost everything

I crossed into Gaza on Wednesday and visited one of the worst hit areas – Shejaiya, in Gaza City – where relatives of our Security and Logistics Officer, Muaid, live. He and his wife hosted 36 family members in...

Leading campaigners to a UN convention

Older activists including Jamaica's Kenneth Hemley united to lobby for a UN convention on the rights of older people in July. Kenneth, 73, travelled to the United Nations in New York to present the almost 300,000-signature (and thumbprint) petition...

The end of AIDS by 2030? Only if older people are included

The 20th International AIDS Conference concluded in Melbourne, Australia a few days ago. Many would say that the conference was a major step towards the "end of AIDS by 2030" target set up by UNAIDS and other global stakeholders...

WHO report: Data on older people living with HIV

Marking a good week for HelpAge's work on HIV, the WHO's Global Update on the Health Sector Response to HIV, that was launched last week recognises the health-related challenges faced by people in their 50s and older living with...