The Department of Health Systems and Services (HSS), through the Life Course Unit (HL), is pleased to invite the public to the High-Level Meeting of the Affiliate Programs of the WHO Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities.
This hybrid session will bring together representatives from Brazil and the United States to discuss opportunities and challenges in creating age-friendly environments and explore how these efforts contribute to the goals of the Decade of Healthy Aging (2021–2030).
The WHO Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities, with more than 1,700 members worldwide (more than half in the Americas), has become a key platform for advancing inclusive, equitable, and age-friendly environments. In large federal countries such as Brazil and the United States, affiliate programs, led by state governments, civil society, and national institutions, play a strategic role in implementing age-friendly policies and creating fairer, more inclusive communities for all.
Watch the event recording
Objectives
- Strengthen the role of affiliate programs in implementing Age-Friendly Environments at the local level
- Promote regional cooperation and peer learning among PAHO, affiliates, and local governments
- Reaffirm PAHO’s commitment to innovative, people-centered approaches to healthy aging
Agenda
Activity and panelists
Opening remarks
Dr. Rhonda Sealey-Thomas, Assistant Director, PAHO/WHO
Presentation: Age-Friendly Cities and Communities: A Key Strategy for the United Nations Decade of Healthy Aging
Dr. James Fitzgerald, Director, Health Systems and Services, PAHO/WHO
Reflections
Ms. Leandre Dal Ponte, Secretary for Women, Racial Equality and Older People, Paraná Government, Brazil
Showcasing Age-Friendly Cities and Communities: Current Members and Strategies, followed by a dialogue and discussion
Paraná Amigo da Pessoa Idosa: Mr. Carlos Roberto Massa Júnior, Governor of the State of Paraná, Brazil
Livable Communities AARP: Lynn Mertz and Mike Watson
Local actions in the USA by city representative
Closing remarks and protocol picture
Dr. Cristian Morales