Date: Friday, 28 February 2020

Time: 2.00 (for 2.30)- 4.30pm (followed by a drinks reception)

Location: Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE

On 28 February 2020, leading global health experts, including speakers from WHO and OECD (full list of speakers below), will meet in London to drive forward an agenda for change within health systems to prioritise the prevention of poor health in an ageing world.

Following a year-long programme of work on “Prevention in an ageing world”, engaging policymakers and decisionmakers across the world, including a side event to the G20 Health Ministers’ meeting in Japan, the International Longevity Centre UK (ILC), will be launching new research on the health and productivity burden of preventable diseases in an ageing society, along with key recommendations for action for government.

In an ageing world, it is vital to ensure we are not just living longer, but also well. Preventative interventions work, they are often highly cost-effective and can bring significant social and economic benefits. But we’re still failing to prioritise prevention right across the life course. Too often ageist assumptions lead us to passively accept that with longer lives comes ill health. But many conditions are preventable, and even where they are not, there are things that we do can to make the difference between living well and not.

ILC’s initial research finds that in 2017 alone, across better off countries, 27.1 million years were lived with disability due to largely preventable disease. And this number is projected to increase by 17% over the next 25 years, yielding significant health, as well as economic costs by ensuing greater reliance on health systems and productivity losses.

The health and economic costs of failing to invest in preventative interventions ought to be too great to ignore. So why are we still seeing under-investment in prevention?

During the event, the expert panel of speakers will explore what preventative interventions health systems can implement through the life course, to support people as they live longer, and ensure they live healthy and remain active with less dependence on others/health systems.

Speakers include:

• Dr Naoko Yamamoto, Assistant Director General for Universal Health Coverage and Healthier Populations, WHO
• Monika Queisser, Head of Social Policy Division and Senior Counsellor to the Employment, Labour and Social Directorate, OECD
• Dr John Beard, previous Director of Ageing and Life Course, WHO
• Prof David Salisbury, Fellow, Chatham House, previously Director of Immunisation, Department for Health and Social Care UK
• Baroness Sally Greengross OBE, Chief Executive, ILC

For more information, please go to: https://ilcuk.org.uk/prevention-in-an-ageing-world-global-launch/.

There are limited press passes available for this event. To request a press pass, please e-mail LilyParsey@ilcuk.org.uk.

Contact

For more information, please contact Lily Parsey at ILC: LilyParsey@ilcuk.org.uk, 0207 340 0440 or 07745 222 553.

Prevention in an ageing world

More information on the Prevention in an ageing world programme is available from: https://ilcuk.org.uk/prevention-in-an-ageing-world/

About ILC

The ILC (The International Longevity Centre) is the UK’s specialist think tank on the impact of longevity on society, and what happens next.

The International Longevity Centre UK was established in 1997 as one of the members of the International Longevity Centre Global Alliance, an international network on longevity.

We work with central government, local government, the private sector, and professional and academic associations to provoke conversations and pioneer solutions for a society where everyone can thrive, regardless of age.