Doors will open for registration at 8am. A light breakfast and coffee will be served.

‍

With an introduction by Former Prime Minister of Finland Esko Aho.

The aging megatrend is now undeniable, and it’s built-in for decades to come. What will our society look like 20 years from now? What changes and leadership do we need to implement today, nearing the midpoint of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, to ensure we can meet the needs of our aging society? This panel will look out to the future and discuss ways to prepare for that future and the risks of inaction.

In 1950, global life expectancy at birth was 46 years; in 2023, it had increased to 73 years. Combine that with plummeting birth rates everywhere (e.g., down in India from 5.9 in 1950 to 2.0 today), creating a world with more old than young. In this keynote address, Navid Hanif, Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development at UNDESA, will speak about how the United Nations, through bold initiatives like the Decade of Healthy Ageing and the Sustainable Development Goals, is providing a vision and a framework for 21^st century leaders – in government, civil society, and the private sector – to realize an aging society that is a source of health and well-being, inclusion, and economic benefit for all. ASG Hanif will be introduced by Michael Hodin, CEO of the Global Coalition on Aging.

‍

Twentieth-century infrastructure for healthcare and pensions was built for 20^th-century age demographics. It’s well past time to update these core institutions of society to match 21^st-century age demographic realities. Where are we seeing examples of whole-system transformations, and what conditions are required to lead that change? This session will feature a special video message from Claire Borelli, Senior Executive VicePresident and Chief People Officer at TIAA.

H.E. Alwasil will be introduced by Pol Vandenbroucke, Chairman of the Global Longevity Council at the World Demographic and Aging Forum, and Vice President of Global Government Affairs at Shionogi.

‍

This panel will explore how forward-thinking leadership and cutting-edge innovations in preventative health can contribute to a healthy workforce, economy, and society. Expert panelists will discuss how a policy landscape that prioritizes innovations for health maintenance and disease prevention not only reduce the long-term economic burden on healthcare systems but also improves quality of life for aging populations both in work and retirement to support robust economic growth and stability.

‍

The growing Silver Economy brings about new investment opportunities – from health to technology and everything in between – and requires new approaches to wealth management and retirement income. This panel will explore the macroeconomic implications of living longer, saving longer, and working longer and related investment strategies to meet the new financial demands that accompany the longevity economy.

This session will feature special video messages from Alvaro Santos Pereira, Chief Economist of the OECD, and Lorna Sabbia, Managing Director and Head of Workplace Benefits, Bank of America.

Japan, Germany, and the UK are among the fastest aging countries globally. Their government leaders have had to make fundamental changes to the policy landscape to anticipate and rise to meet the evolving needs of their rapidly changing citizens. In this inspiring Fireside Chat, two of the world’s most innovative and visionary policymakers – from the German Bundestag and Greater Manchester, UK, the most celebrated Age-Friendly City in the world - will sit down with GCOA’s Melissa Mitchell to share their perspectives and lessons for leadership in aging societies, from Europe to Asia, and beyond. This session will feature a special video message from the Kazumi Nishikawa from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan.

‍

‍

As our understanding of the complexity of dementia and its comorbidities deepens, it's evident that our healthcare systems often fail to address brain health within the broader context of mental health and quality of life. We need a better understanding and recognition of early indicators regarding behavioral symptoms and cultural differences. This gap diminishes individual well-being and increases the caregiving burden on families and society. In this interactive lunch discussion, we’ll talk about why it’s crucial to integrate brain health into holistic care models. Focusing on the importance of healthy brains throughout our lives can enhance individual quality of life, reduce societal costs, and enable people to participate in their communities as they age.

‍

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest public health threats of our time. Healthy aging is seriously threatened by the progressive failure of antibiotics to treat infectious diseases due to AMR. However, hope is not lost. Many promising policy solutions exist that could save our populations from this looming problem – if governments and stakeholders took urgent action. In this fireside chat, two of the world’s leading experts on this problem from the public and private sectors will sit down to discuss what still needs to be done and how people from all sectors can help.

‍

If healthy aging is to be achievable and accessible everywhere to everyone, we must start by examining existing frameworks that are helping health systems and communities tackle the diseases and conditions that increase in prevalence with age. Now, at the midway point of the Decade of Healthy Ageing, in what chronic disease areas have we seen progress in the focus areas of long-term care, integrated care, age-friendly environments, and combatting ageism? This session will feature a special video message from Alana Officer, Unit Head for Demographic Change and Healthy Ageing at the WHO.

Too often patients are blocked from receiving life-extending and life-saving medicines and treatments simply because healthcare systems are slow to accept and adopt transformational therapies. For example, research on CART-cell therapy shows that its benefits are not small advances but offer significant improvements and have curative potential for blood cancer patients.This Fireside Chat will examine the case study of CAR T-cell therapy and the importance of inspiring collective action from governments, payers, clinicians, and patients to strengthen pathways to innovative and transformational therapies. We cannot squander these critical investments in healthy aging and saving lives.

‍

‍

Women currently control more than $31 trillion of worldwide spending, and by 2028, will control 75 percent of all discretionary spending. And, while women live longer than men, they also spend 25 percent more time in poor health, a fact that threatens healthy aging for – and the economic potential of– women. At last year’s Silver Economy Forum, GCOA launched the WISE Council, built on the premise that when women age healthily, their families, employers, communities and economies all win. This panel will discuss the keys to unlocking the power of Women in the Silver Economy.

‍

Companies worldwide have conducted market research to understand the changing needs of older consumers, but even beyond that, the “healthy aging” market is vast, diverse, and lucrative. A panel including marketing, behavioral sciences, and social anthropology experts will help bust myths about older consumers as monoliths and tackle ageism for market advantage. Audience members are invited to share their ‘silver market’ learnings and questions (please notify GCOA staff during lunch if you wish to share during this session).

Today’s changemakers will be shaping the world in which we are all growing old. Successful leadership in the 21^st century must be built on a foundation of trust as leaders are tasked with reimagining and evolving the marketplace, workforce, education, healthcare, and institutions of society to meet a moment increasingly defined by more old than young. This panel will explore who the leaders of tomorrow will be. How are these emerging leaders building trust across generations? What attitudes, plans, and priorities do they need to adopt? Who are the policymakers, business leaders, and other global influencers getting this right, and what can we learn from them? This session will feature a special video message from Vice President of Uruguay Beatriz Argimón.

‍

‍