Last week, International Federation on Ageing's 11th Global Conference took place in the picturesque city of Prague, Czech Republic. The theme of this year's conference was "Ageing Connects". Discussions revolved around active ageing, ending elder abuse,
In Jany-Aryk, a village five hours drive from the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek we sat in a yurt, draped with rich, bright fabrics, listening to older women and their grandchildren sing and play music. This was my introduction to the...
The Sahel region of Africa which covers countries from Mauritania in the West to Sudan and Eritrea in the East, via Chad is facing a new severe food and nutrition crisis. In Chad, the number of vulnerable people increased...
A Saturday in Brussels Getting up at six in the morning on a Saturday when you have a wretched cold isn't exactly everyone's idea of fun. But strangely enough, I didn't actually mind too much. I was in Brussels,...
This might sound like a joke but grandmas around the world do super things (not limited to 1980s TV). We just don't hear about them often enough. So when I met 72-year-old Dum Ream in Cambodia, I wanted her...
A large sign on way out of Yangon’s airport has lost its “l”. It now says “We come to Yangon”. Indeed we do. Over 150 people who work for or represent older people and their issues have come to...
As part of Age Demands Action on Health, HelpAge participated in the 13th World Congress on Public Health held in Addis Ababa on 23-27 April 2012. The event brought together 3,000 health practitioners, experts and organisations from around the...
Much of HelpAge's work in Kyrgyzstan to support older people and their families is focused on the issue of migration. A big part of Kyrgyzstan's "middle generation" has migrated to other countries in the region, such as Russia, looking...
We've all seen it in the news: younger people are getting tired of the injustice and unfairness in this world. Over the past few years since the global financial crisis, Europe has witnessed many protests, demonstrations and social unrest...
There are no "older people" in Bangladesh and yet one in ten people are soon to be over 60. Confused? I am talking about the murky world of categories and definition. You see, in a country where what constitutes...
The year began with a devastating drought for the pastoralists and farmers of the Borena zone. Thousands of families lost their livestock and their crops, and were left with deteriorating livelihoods. November 2011 brought about the much longed for...
When older people visit health clinics many say that the doctors do not really listen to them. For me it is different, they pay attention when I speak because I have a background in public health. I can challenge...
