News

Older people are among those worst affected by disasters and more must be done to protect them, according to HelpAge International.

After three years as Chief Executive of HelpAge International, Toby Porter will be leaving in September to become the Chief Executive of Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust. Justin Derbyshire, Director of Programmes of HelpAge International, will take over as interim Chief Executive from September. Plans for the transition process are already underway. The Board of HelpAge International, chaired by Arun Maira, will begin a global search to recruit Toby’s successor.

Older people are campaigning for the right to be free from violence and abuse under international law on this World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

HelpAge International and Sightsavers are launching a new three-year project in Tanzania funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. The Mwangaza project will support vulnerable communities in the central Morogoro region with affordable and quality eye care services.

HelpAge International has welcomed the WHO’s new action plan on ageing and health, calling on countries to promote healthy lives for older people.

Delegations from all World Health Organization member states are currently gathered in Geneva for the 69th World Health Assembly and HelpAge will be part of a side event on Wednesday to highlight the impact of ageism on global health.

The impact of ageism on global health will be the focus of discussion at a side event at the World Health Assembly in Geneva this week.

A new HelpAge International survey of 300 older refugees fleeing from conflict in Syria, Ukraine and South Sudan found evidence of neglect, poor health provision and feelings of isolation and fear.

More than two-thirds of older refugees in HelpAge’s report Older voices in humanitarian crises said they did not have enough information about the humanitarian assistance available to them. Almost half said health services did not provide care for their age-related conditions, and a similar figure said they felt anxious, hopeless or depressed most or all of the time.

At 11.56am local time, one year ago today, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal. Nearly 9,000 people were killed by the tremors, with more than 22,000 left injured. Whole villages were flattened and some 605,000 homes were left destroyed.

Older men and women in Zanzibar will have a government-funded universal pension for the first time today (15 April).

The first government funded universal pension in East Africa is to be launched in Zanzibar this Friday (15 April).