Blogs

AIDS 2012: Reflections of the past week

Last week, I attended AIDS 2012 in Washington DC. Along with me and HIV Policy Advisor, Rachel Albone, other HelpAge staff working on HIV, from our partner organisations, were also present at the conference. Immediately, I felt there was...

Older women and HIV: The missing link to ending the epidemic

Medical research and effective treatment for those living with HIV means that the epidemic is ageing rapidly. Someone who is diagnosed HIV positive in the United States today at the age of 20 and has access to antiretroviral therapy...

Make it Ageless in Slovenia

The Make it Ageless campaign to ensure older people in the developing world are better included in the European Union's (EU) policy and programmes is well on its way to success! We are happy to report that the hard...

East Africa crisis: Supporting older people in Ethiopia

Brendan Paddy is the Disasters Emergency Committee's (DEC) Communications Manager. In 2011, the DEC East Africa appeal raised £75 million to help those affected by the severe drought and food crisis in the region. A year after the appeal...

MDGs: No room for the world’s older people

The Millennium Development Goals Report 2012 launched this week, made no mention of global ageing. This is not surprising, since the existing MDG framework makes age group disaggregation impossible. However, global ageing is one of the most fundamental is

The impact of displacement on older people

Across the globe today, the displacement of families and communities as a result of conflict, human rights abuses and natural disasters, is a major cause of suffering, poverty and loss of life. Displacement, particularly over the long term, is...

Rebuilding homes and lives in northern Ethiopia

The flooding that hit Ethiopia's Alemata district in 2010 devastated thousands of lives and destroyed homes and livelihoods. Since then HelpAge and the Relief Society of Tigray (REST) have joined forces to build 329 houses for older people affected...

Stop elder abuse, protect older people’s rights

To mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on 15 June, older people in 18 countries will campaign against elder abuse and demand protection of their rights. This campaign, Age Demands Action for Rights, has gained support very quickly, with...

Making it Ageless in the Czech Republic

Last week, my organisation Zivot 90, a HelpAge partner, took part in the open-air youth festival Maj les, which is organised by university students from all over the Czech Republic. Over 8,000 young people get together to celebrate the...