The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Dementia Observatory (Osservatorio Demenze) have signed a three-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) to formalize a close collaboration and exchange aimed at improving care for healthy ageing.
The Dementia Observatory, is part of the National Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (Centro Nazionale per la Prevenzione delle Malattie e la Promozione della Salute) of the Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore della Sanità).
The Dementia Observatory located in Rome, Italy coordinates and supports the national and international public health response to dementia and corresponding efforts for prevention and health promotion through an integrated, evidence-based approach and life-course perspective.
The MOU outlines three specific areas of collaboration:
- development of long-term care standards to enhance the design and organization of the continuum of care for older persons, with a particular focus on those living with cognitive disturbances;
- exploration and summarization of available scientific literature on emerging issues related to healthy ageing to prioritize and guide interventions; and
- development of materials to address sociocultural diversities in the care approach to older persons.
By focusing on these areas, we aim to make significant strides in improving care for older people. This MoU opens significant opportunities as we are coming close to the mid-point of the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing.
“This MoU is aligned with the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing, a global collaboration, coordinated by WHO, aimed at transforming the world into a better place to grow older through the multi-stakeholder engagement of governments, civil society, international organizations, professionals, academic institutions, the media, and the private sector,” added Dr Banerjee.