Helping older people live full and secure lives | Age helps

World Humanitarian Summit

Ensuring global ageing recognised

The Middle East and North Africa consultation for the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit is taking place in Amman, Jordan this week.

We are actively engaged in the process to ensure that the Summit recognises the huge significance of global ageing and the implications for humanitarian action.

Find out more about our involvement in the World Humanitarian Summit. 

Ukraine crisis

Huge impact on older people

HelpAge is supporting older and disabled internally displaced persons in Ukraine. 

We're providing them with essential items, such as blankets, as well as psychosocial support to help them deal with the trauma of conflict.

An emerging and serious issue for older people in Ukraine is a severe lack of drugs to treat non-communicable diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes.

Read more on the Ukraine crisis.

International Women's Day

Older women count

Despite evidence on how discrimination affects women in older age and the challenges they face, older women are almost entirely absent from the picture.

This blind spot includes the debate at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, which will take place in New York from 9 to 20 March 2015. 

We’re calling for gender equality for women across their entire lives because older women count.

Global AgeWatch Index

How are older people faring?

The Global AgeWatch Index measures how well 96 countries are supporting their older populations.

It is based on four domains that are key enablers of older people's wellbeing: income, health, capability and enabling environment.

Norway comes first and, apart from Japan, all top 10 countries are in Western Europe, North America and Australasia. Afghanistan comes bottom.

Find out more about the Global AgeWatch Index.