The Coalition brings together 15 organisations and 12 individuals, including the European Public Health Association, the International Pharmaceutical Federation, and Professor Sir Michael Marmot, University College London. It will be formally launched next week, alongside the 76th World Health Assembly in Geneva, as members call for governments to reorient their healthcare systems towards prevention.

There are significant economic opportunities that come with an ageing society, but only if countries adapt. Investing in prevention, to ensure people live not only longer but healthier lives, is crucial. For this reason, National, regional and global representatives, have come together under a shared vision to improve population health by urging governments to spend at least 6% of their health budgets on preventative care.

The Coalition is part of ILC’s global initiatives to influence world leaders and health and finance ministers to prioritise healthy ageing and prevention. ILC plans to engage leading policymakers at the forthcoming World Health Assembly, where it will launch its Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index, and at the G20 Summit. The Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index is a global Index which ranks 121 countries on six healthy ageing and prevention metrics. It aims to hold governments to account on healthy ageing and investing in prevention.

Led by the International Longevity Centre UK (ILC), the UK’s specialist think tank on the impact of longevity on society, the Coalition will work together to:

1. Elevate the importance of prevention among global health actors, respond to key policy developments and calls to action, and hold governments to account.
2. Influence change at the global and national level to ensure prevention is at the heart of global health policy.
3. Drive forward and communicate key messages from the Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index and demonstrate the health and economic case for investing in prevention.

Arunima Himawan from the International Longevity Centre UK (ILC), who organised the Coalition, argues: “Greater investment in preventative health is something many global health advocates, no matter their specific area of focus, can get behind. We need to show governments that we are united on this issue and that we need them to urgently move from commitment to action on prevention.

Through our collective voice, we want to demonstrate the health and economic benefits of investing in prevention in an ageing world. And over the next couple years, we want to grow and build a programme of activities to elevate its importance, hold governments to account, and influence national and global policy.”

Ashton Applewhite, Activist and the author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism says: “We now understand that much change that was once thought to be irreversible and biologically based has more to do with how people—including their healthcare providers—perceive their futures. This starts early: age denial keeps many younger people from making lifestyle choices that pay off in the long run. Later in life, ageist and ableist assumptions about older patients, including the self-directed bias of older people themselves, result in a lower standard of care. This outcome is unethical and costly. It’s the reason the WHO launched a Global Campaign to Combat Ageism in 2021. Everyone is old or future old. Investing in preventative care across the lifespan is essential if we are to realize the promise of the new longevity.”

Elena Moya, Vice-Presidenta, Asociación Española Contra La Meningitis says “As the unique patients’ voice in Spain that fights against meningitis, we are committed to raising awareness of prevention as the only way to control infectious diseases.  Meningitis can affect anyone at any age. Therefore, it is mandatory that our Public Health authorities implement in vaccination routine calendars all the necessary practical resources to protect the citizens. Our advocacy strategy plan is regional, national and worldwide as we are partners of the WHO global roadmap Defeating Meningitis 2030.”

Colin Sanders, Research Fellow, Hasselt University, Belgium says “ILC UK’s Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index clearly shows where each country stands and where improvement is needed. Preventive healthcare can reduce the gap between health and life expectancy in a cost-effective way. Preventive healthcare needs to be accompanied by improved health literacy and the learning of habit-forming techniques for long-term impact.”

Veronica Franklin Gould, President, Arts 4 Dementia comments “The Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index opens the door to a happier healthier world. For example, early direction to re-energising cultural and creative activities at the onset of dementia can empower people to preserve brain health, and reduce stigma, isolation and care costs.”

Professor John Weinman, Professor of Psychology as applied to Medicines, Kings College London says: “Prevention in an ageing world is not just about preventing disease but helping people better manage their conditions through medication adherence. Using this platform to help governments develop policies and recommended practices for medicine-taking in older people should be a major priority to reduce the many serious medical complications and economic costs that arise from treatment non-adherence”.

The Index will be available as an online data and information tool on ILC’s Healthy Ageing and Prevention webpage, which will be launched 23 May 2023.

The Coalition is growing but here is a list of members so far:

Steering group

• Jane Barratt, Secretary General, International Federation on Ageing (IFA)
• Ken Bluestone, Head of Policy and Influencing, Age International
• Professor David M. Salisbury, CB FMedSci, FRCP FRCPCH FFPH, Associate Fellow, Programme for Global Health, Royal Institute International Affairs, Chatham House, London and Chair, WHO Global Commission for Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication.

Coalition members – organisations

• Alzheimer’s Disease International
• Coalition for Life Course Immunisation
• Asociación contra la meningitis (Spain)
• European Cancer Organisation
• European Public Health Association
• Faculty of Public Health (UK)
• Food Train – Eat Well Age Well (Scotland)
• International Longevity Centre – Canada
• International Longevity Centre – Dominican Republic
• International Longevity Centre – Israel
• International Pharmaceutical Federation
• Veronicaarts – Arts for Brain Health
• World Heart Federation

Coalition members – individuals

• Ashton Applewhite, Activist and the author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism
• Dr Aravinda Meera Guntupalli, Senior Lecturer, Global Health Institute of Applied Health Sciences (IAHS), University of Aberdeen
• Dr Clara Marquina, Research Fellow and Teaching Associate, Monash University, Melbourne
• Professor Sir Michael Marmot, CH, Director, Institute of Health Equity, Professor of Epidemiology, University College London
• Dame Philippa Russell DBE, Vice-President, Carers UK and Trustee, South East England Forum on Ageing
• Colin Sanders, Research Fellow, Hasselt University
• John Weinman, Professor of Psychology as applied to Medicines, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London

The Healthy Ageing and Prevention Coalition is made possible by charitable support and grants from Amgen, GSK, Hallmark Foundation, MSD, Pfizer and Sanofi.

Notes

1. For further information on the Index, see our initial publication: Introducing the Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index – ILCUK
2. To attend the global launch of our Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index visit our registration page: Global launch of the Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index alongside the 76th World Health Assembly – ILCUK
3. Link to our Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index page: Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index – ILCUK – the interactive Index site, along with a page to the Coalition will be live from 23 May 2023.

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