Having attended the IFA conference in 2018 in person and for 2021 in virtual mode, once again Change Rangers is a Conference Partner for this event.
In a most fitting way, this event is designated as a contribution to the Decade of Healthy Ageing(2021-2030).
Under the banner Challenge – Transformation – Change there are five conference theme areas: Age-friendly Environments, Digital Technologies & Practice, Immunization for All Ages, Maintaining & Improving Function and Older Women. The keynote speaker Denise Eldemire-Shearer, Professor of Ageing and Public Health at the University of the West Indies Ageing and Wellness Centre Jamaica.
Though a final list of session presenters is yet to be published, there are some who have been spotlighted on social media; such as Dr. Danni Collingridge Moore who achieved her PhD from Lancaster University in 2021 while working as a researcher at the University’s International Observatory on End of Life Care (IOELC). Collingridge Moore will present her research on COVID-19 in care homes and share key recommendations and strategies as her contribution to the UK’s pandemic response.
Newly appointed in 2022,David Sinclair – Chief Executive of the International Longevity Centre – UK will discuss European-centric obstacles to vaccinations in general, not just for COVID-19, and the pressing call to action for healthy ageing and defence against vaccine-preventable diseases. One might venture to say that the vaccine uptake issue is not unique to Europe, as public health education is in sorry need of a better communication strategy.
Sticking with this topic, it is worth note that in April 2023 the IFA has produced a specific new technical report entitled Improving Adult Vaccination Policy in Long-term Care Settings. This first of its kind study, which is intended to inform guidelines and dialogue, found that 19 countries studied had no immunization plan for long-term care facilities, posing risks to older adults’ health.
Watch for my final conference partner update coming in mid-June.