October 1, 2007
For immediate distribution

Information

Age-Friendly Cities

Age-Friendly Cities Project

The World Health Organization (WHO) developed the Age-Friendly Cities (AFC) project to engage cities worldwide in making their communities more age-friendly by identifying key elements needed to ensure that cities support healthy aging. Funded partially through the Public Health Agency of Canada's (PHAC) Population Health Fund and carried out by the WHO, the project supports governments and other sectors around the world in developing and strengthening health and social policies in an aging world. Among the 33 cities involved in this project are four Canadian cities: Saanich, British Columbia; Portage La Prairie, Manitoba; Sherbrooke, Quebec; and Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Age-Friendly Cities Guide

The WHO and the 33 participating cities gathered information from seniors, senior-care providers and other stakeholders to identify the major physical, social and health barriers they experience in city living. To share what they learned, the WHO produced a practical Age-Friendly Cities Guide. The themes of the guide include: community support and health services, outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, respect and social inclusion, social participation, communication and information, civic participation and employment.

For a copy of the complete WHO guide, please visit: www.who.int/en/.

Government of Canada's Role

The Government of Canada has been a key partner, providing $258,000 in funding through the Population Health Fund to the World Health Organization, which has allowed the organization to move forward with the Age-Friendly Cities project.

Beyond the financial support, Canada was able to provide in-kind and technical help to the project. This promotes integration of the health promotion approach used in Canada with the WHO Active Ageing Policy Framework. As well, partnering with the WHO helps to ensure that the knowledge is shared across countries and nations. Canada is also proud to provide $150,000 in funding to support Phase II of the project which will validate the Age-Friendly Cities Guide and identify ways to promote its implementation.

World Health Organization's Role

The WHO and partners from all continents consulted with older persons, and with community leaders and experts, to identify the major physical and social barriers to active aging. The knowledge from these consultations has been used to develop, implement and evaluate local action plans to make the environment more age-friendly. The WHO has compiled the results into a practical Age-Friendly Cities Guide that can be used by cities around the world.

Health Minister Tony Clement with Michael Lake, Director General of Help the Aged UK.

Help the Aged UK's Role

Help the Aged UK is a British charity working to free disadvantaged older people in the United Kingdom and overseas from poverty, isolation and neglect. They are a key partner in the Age-Friendly Cities project as they have lent their expertise, policy know-how and organizational support to the Age-Friendly Cities Project and the other global projects on injury prevention and emergency preparedness aimed at strengthening active and healthy aging.

Help the Aged UK presented the Canadian Minister of Health, Tony Clement, with an International Award distinguishing him as a leader on seniors' health issues. This award acknowledges Canada's global leadership role on seniors' issues, particularly in the areas of emergency preparedness and healthy aging (through the Age-Friendly Cities project).

Government of Canada's previous work in the area of seniors' health

In May 2006, the Public Health Agency of Canada received Help the Aged UK's International Award for 2006 from Queen Elizabeth for its leadership of a global initiative involving the World Health Organization, Help the Aged UK and representatives of other governments. This initiative was aimed at identifying the particular vulnerability of older people during emergencies and establishing best practices in protecting older people in extreme circumstances. Their efforts included looking at ways to engage seniors themselves and volunteer organisations in preparing for and responding to emergencies.

The Agency followed by organizing the Winnipeg International Workshop on Seniors and Emergency Preparedness in February 2007.

Canada's sustained interest in the issue of seniors' falls and injury prevention led to the development of award-winning publications such as The Safe Living Guide and innovative reports, such as the 2005 Report on Seniors' Falls in Canada.