UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030)

Social health is a missing pillar of health, alongside physical and mental health.

#SocialHealth can no longer be ignored as an essential component of health and well-being – including for older people.

On this #FriendshipDay, learn more with the WHO Commission on Social Connection:

🔗 bit.ly/who-csc-report

#PowerOfConnection

Some drivers of social isolation and loneliness are: poor health, marginalization, low income/education, living alone, weak community infrastructure, life transitions, and unhealthy use of digital technologies.

There are diverse drivers of social isolation and loneliness, but many of them are experienced more by older people ⬇️

For example, older people have unique experiences of marginalisation caused by #ageism.

Similarly, some life transitions like retirement are mostly experienced by older people.

Social isolation and loneliness have serious impacts. They harm physical and mental health, reduce life expectancy, and cost society billions in terms of health care, education and employment. Loneliness causes 870,000 deaths a year.

Social isolation and #loneliness harm health – across all ages.

Around 1 in 6 people worldwide are lonely, with latest data showing that younger people are the most affected.

However, older people experience more social isolation – up to 1 in 3.

#FriendshipDay

Two older friends wearing similar outfits, on a day out outdoors. Text: 'International Day of Friendship'

It's #FriendshipDay! 💜

Feeling socially connected is an important part of being human, and improves our health & well-being – no matter what our age.

Take the time to reach out to an older person around you. A simple gesture could make a big difference! #AddingLifeToYears

2️⃣ Making Older Women Count in the SDGs

🗓️ 17 July (Thu)
⏰ 13:00–14:30 EST

ℹ️ Sponsored by HelpAge International, Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality, UN Inter-Agency Group on Ageing, El Salvador, Japan

🔗 Register here: www.decadeofhealthyageing.org/find-knowle...

1️⃣ The Intersectionality of Ageism & Sexism: Harnessing the Power of Older Women

🗓️ 16 July (Wed)
⏰ 13:15–14:30 EST

ℹ️ Organised by ILC Canada and HelpAge Canada.

🔗 Register here: www.decadeofhealthyageing.org/find-knowle...

The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (#HLPF) is taking place from 14–23 July at the United Nations.

Stakeholders are gathering to review progress on the #SDGs – and #HealthyAgeing is on the agenda, too.

Follow the conversations by joining two official side events ⬇️🧵

An older man in a wheelchair, feeding pigeons in a park outside whilst smiling. The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing logo is in the background. Text: 'World Day for Assistive Technology'.

It's the World Day for Assistive Technology! #WorldATDay

No matter what our age or abilities, we have the right to fully participate in society.

#AssistiveTechnology can help billions around the world age with meaning and dignity.

Time to #UnlockTheEveryday! 🦻🧑‍🦽👓🦾🧑‍🦯

📢 Cities and municipalities—your voice matters!
Join @whoeurope.bsky.social’s stakeholder engagement to shape a new Strategy on Ageing

🗓️ 4 June, 10:00–12:00 CEST
🎤 A line-up of excellent speakers will share local actions for #HealthyAgeing
🔗 who.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
@undecadeageing.bsky.social

Stakeholder engagement with civil societies to shape the upcoming WHO European Strategy on Ageing

People are living longer—but too often in poor health. That’s not inevitable—it’s a policy choice 🧭

🙌🏻Thanks to all who joined our civil society engagement to help shape our upcoming @whoeurope.bsky.social’s new Strategy on #AgeingisLiving

@natashaazzmus.bsky.social @undecadeageing.bsky.social

📢 Happening tomorrow!

Join the #AgeingIsLiving stakeholder consultation 🗓 27 May | 🕙 10:00–12:00 CEST

Help shape @whoeurope.bsky.social’s new strategy on healthy ageing & age-friendly societies.

🔗 Register: bit.ly/3ZbDKYD
#HealthyAgeing

@undecadeageing.bsky.social
@ageplatformeu.bsky.social

A group photo of the winners of the 2025 His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Prize for the Promotion of Healthy Ageing.

Announced @ #WHA78: Winners of 2025 His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Prize for the Promotion of Healthy Ageing

Congratulations to Huali Wang (China) and the Geriatric Healthcare Directorate, Ministry of Health (Kuwait)!

🔗: who.int/news-room/f...

⏰ HAPPENING NOW @ #WHA78:

Official side event co-hosted by Qatar and Republic of Korea on accelerating impact during the @UNDecadeAgeing.bksy.social

If you are in Geneva, please join us in Salle XXVI! #AddingLifeToYears

Attending the 78th World Health Assembly? #WHA78

You're invited to an official side event co-hosted by Qatar and the Republic of Korea on accelerating the @undecadeageing.bsky.social ⬇️

🗓️ 19 May (TODAY)
⏰ 17:15 reception; 18:00 main event
📍 Salle XXVI, Palais des Nations

#AddingLifeToYears

This feels like a breakthrough development - a way of measuring ageism to give us new insights and help assess the effectiveness of interventions to combat ageism. Congratulations to everyone involved in this important work.

Front cover of the WHO Ageism Scale Manual.

📢 Now Available: The WHO Ageism Scale – available in 10 languages and more to come.

To know if we’re making progress in creating #AWorld4AllAges, we need a reliable tool to measure ageism.

But we didn’t have that tool… Until now.

🔍 Explore the scale: bit.ly/who-ageism-...

An older woman smiling at the camera. The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing logo is in the background. Text: 'It's time to add quality to our years. Because ageing is not just about the numbers – but about how we live and grow in between.'

This #WorldHealthDay, and on every other day, let's work towards a world where ALL people can be and do what they value – throughout their whole lives.

Because that's good health.

That's #HealthForAll.

And that's #HealthyAgeing! 🙌

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An older mother with her younger daughter on her lap, both smiling at the camera. The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing logo is in the background.

So if we're thinking about #HopefulFutures, let's make sure we don't stop at ensuring mothers and babies have a great beginning.

Let's set up the health and care systems and broader environments needed to support all mothers and babies to live a long and fulfilled life.

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A grandmother embracing her granddaughter while smiling. The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing logo is in the background. Text: 'Longer lives are a human triumph. Are we ready to maximise the opportunities that later life brings – for current and future generations of older people?'

So let's bring it all back to what this year's #WorldHealthDay is about – the health of mothers and babies.

#HealthyAgeing isn't just about current generations of older people. It's also about making sure future generations can enjoy the benefits of longer lives, too.

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That's what we mean when we say the @UNDecadeAgeing is our opportunity to foster #HealthyAgeing – for everyone.

Because what matters is not just the number of years we live, but the quality of those years. And together, we can make every year count.

#WorldHealthDay

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An older man sitting beside a younger man, both smiling at the camera. The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing logo is in the background. Text: 'Healthy ageing isn't just about adding years to our lives. It means being able to be and do what we value, no matter what our age.'

So how does this all link to #HealthyAgeing?

It's not that far of a leap. Healthy ageing also means being enabled to be and do what we value – no matter what our age.

It means not just adding years to life, but #AddingLifeToYears.

And it's fundamental to #HealthForAll.

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An older woman using a wheelchair to be mobile, smiling. The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing logo is in the background. Photo credit: Sergey Volkov / WHO

When our wider physical and social environments support us, we can all realise our full potential according to our own needs and wishes – including when we're living with a condition.

Now that's good health!

#WorldHealthDay

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An older woman and older man, riding the bus together while smiling at each other. The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing logo is in the background.

For example, is accessible transport available to take you to the doctor or your loved ones?

Are assistive products like hearing aids affordable and normalised?

Are your fundamental rights to live free from discrimination protected?

These environmental factors all add up.

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An older woman, wearing colourful clothing, smiling at the camera, on her balcony. She is using an assistive product - a walking stick - to move around. The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing logo is in the background.

3️⃣ Health is shaped by our environments

What takes us from the absence of disease to broader well-being is supportive environments.

Our physical and social contexts are major shapers of whether we're enabled or held back from being and doing what we value.

#WorldHealthDay

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An older woman in a field, squatting down while smiling at the camera with her hands clasped. The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing logo is in the background.

When we say we want to be 'healthy', we're really saying we want to be fully enabled to make our lives meaningful.

So how do we make sure everyone can be healthy – regardless of who they are, where they live, or how old they might be?

#WorldHealthDay

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An older man playing a guitar and cowbell outdoors. The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing logo is in the background.

We all have things we want to be and do.

It could be something like riding a bike, or learning how to play the guitar.

Or it could be things like being a loved one, or finding a sense of purpose in work.

The possibilities are what make life exciting.

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An older woman in a rural environment, offering a fruit to the viewer while smiling. The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing logo is in the background.

2️⃣ Health is about well-being

And that's because health isn't just about addressing illness, though it's a key foundation.

It's really about the ability to be and do what we value – creating a sense of well-being that brings satisfaction with our lives.

#WorldHealthDay

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Social Isolation and Loneliness Social isolation and loneliness are increasingly being recognised as a priority public health problem and policy issue for older people. During the course of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030), the Demographic Change and Healthy Ageing Unit will be addressing social isolation and loneliness as one of the themes that cuts across the four main action areas of the Decade.

But health doesn't stop at medical treatments.

For example, what if an older person doesn't have any illnesses, but feels lonely because they go months without speaking to anyone?

We wouldn't be comfortable with saying they're enjoying good health.
www.who.int/teams/socia...

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An older woman, who is also a doctor, smiling while looking out a window in her clinic. The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing logo is in the background.

We can't take our ability to address diseases for granted.

After all, it's part of why we're able to enjoy longer lives than ever before in history.

And equitable access to medical treatment still isn't available for everyone around the world.

#WorldHealthDay

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1️⃣ Health is not just about curing disease

When we think about health, our minds might go straight to the doctor's clinic.

There, we can benefit from the incredible medical advances we've made over the years, whenever we feel ill.

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