Canary in the coal mine - Learnings from COVID-19 for health ecosystems in an ageing world

The outsize vulnerability of older adults in the global COVID-19 pandemic is proving to be the canary in the coal mine for health systems around the world, exposing critical gaps that threaten health and wellbeing at all ages and that demand a shift to a new kind of health ecosystem for our ageing world.

This year marks the launch of the WHO’s Decade of Healthy Ageing, creating opportunities to learn from the direct and indirect health consequences of Covid-19 and to build a more robust ecosystem that better supports a life course of mental, physical, and social health for all. From ensuring that preventative services, such as screenings and vaccinations, are available and accessible to people of all ages, to addressing the care crises that have been laid bare by the pandemic, to supporting continued innovation and effective use and integration of technology into new and existing services, the Covid-19 experience has made clear that the priorities and actions of policymakers, civil society, and the private sector must rapidly evolve to secure a future of healthy ageing and economic growth for the 21st century.

In this webinar, expert speakers from ILC-UK, Johns Hopkins University, and the Global Coalition on Aging will explore what we are learning from the experience of older adults in COVID-19 about how health ecosystems – from the central healthcare system to care settings, caregivers, employers, and individuals – all must adapt to the needs of an ageing society, both during the pandemic and beyond.