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Caregivers Action Network, UK Consortium on AIDS and International Development Care and Support Initiative and Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance joint World AIDS Day statement 2012

On Saturday 1 December the World’s HIV community will come together to mark World AIDS Day. This year we are focussed on ‘Getting to Zero’ in an effort to achieve a generation where no one dies of AIDS, no one newly acquires HIV, and the rights of all people living with or affected by HIV are upheld. While we, as a care and support community, fully endorse these three goals, we remain concerned about the limited attention being given to the care and support needs of those living with and affected by HIV and the lack of recognition of the crucial role of caregivers in the HIV response.

UN Member States move one step closer to a convention

UN Member States voted to take steps to strengthen the protection of older people’s rights in a landmark vote in the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday 27 November.

DRC crisis: Older displaced people urgently need food and medicines

HelpAge International is extremely concerned about the safety and wellbeing of older people affected by the recent escalation of unrest in eastern Democratic of Congo (DRC). About 140,000 people have fled their homes in the latest eruption of violence in North Kivu province. We estimate that amongst them are 12,000 older people aged 50 or over.

HelpAge concerned about safety of older people in Gaza

HelpAge International is very concerned for the safety of the 60,000 older people in the Gaza strip aged 60 and over, including 4,000 who live alone. Many have difficulty walking or have chronic illnesses that limit their mobility.

38 aid agencies warn of humanitarian disaster in Gaza if military confrontation is not stopped

As the impact of days of violent escalation worsens for civilians in Gaza and in Israel, a group of 38 aid and development agencies today urged world leaders to take swift action to enforce a ceasefire in order to protect civilian lives and infrastructure and prevent another widespread humanitarian disaster in Gaza brought on by a prolonged military confrontation.

Campaigners unite to urge the EU to include older people in development policies

As part of Age Demands Action in Europe, campaigners from across Europe and Kenya are marching to the European Parliament to urge the EU to make its development policy age-friendly on 4 October. The event will be chaired by Thijs Berman, MEP, and Coordinator for the Socialists and Democrats Group on the Development Committee.

New HelpAge and UNFPA report calls for urgent action by governments to address the needs of the “greying generation”

The number of older persons is growing faster than any other age group, according to our new report, Ageing in the Twenty-first Century: A Celebration and a Challenge, released today on International Day of Older Persons in collaboration with UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. The landmark report underlines that, while the trend of ageing societies is a cause for celebration, it also presents huge challenges as it requires completely new approaches to health care, employment and living arrangements.