PolyU School of Nursing hosts Healthy Ageing Conference 2025, experts from 15 countries and regions join forces to promote healthy ageing

The world is facing the challenge of an ageing population, making the maintenance of health and quality of life for the elderly an urgent issue. As a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Community Health Service, the School of Nursing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), in collaboration with the PolyU Research Institute of Smart Ageing (RISA), is hosting the Healthy Ageing Conference 2025 from 29 – 30 May. The conference aims to promote healthy ageing efforts in the Western Pacific region and beyond, bringing together over 200 experts from 15 countries and regions.

Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU, stated that the conference provides a platform for policymakers, the healthcare industry, academics, and stakeholders to jointly promote healthy ageing. He added, “With PolyU’s extensive experience in the education of healthcare professionals, we have submitted a forward-looking and innovative proposal to the Government for the establishment of Hong Kong’s third medical school, aiming to leverage the University’s robust capabilities in medical science, medicine and engineering integration, and AI-driven medicine to nurture a new generation of medical doctors who are socially responsible and technologically proficient.”

Ms Xinjie QI, Second Class Counsel (Deputy Director-General Level) of the Department of Ageing and Health, National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China, stated in her speech that China and the WHO have conducted a series of collaborations in integrated medical and elderly care, the establishment of age-friendly medical institutions, and the development of geriatric medicine, achieving positive results. She expressed willingness to strengthen exchanges with other countries and share innovative experiences. She also emphasised that advancing the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is a national strategy and, as such, the National Health Commission will continue to enhance exchanges and cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao in areas such as healthy ageing.

Dr Libby LEE, the Acting Secretary for Health of the Government of HKSAR, stated that the HKSAR Government is actively reforming the healthcare system, including enhancing the primary healthcare services. As outlined in the Primary Healthcare Blueprint released in December 2022, the Government’s strategy adopts a prevention-focused, community-based approach. It aims at supporting and equipping people to lead a healthy life in the community, thereby improving the overall health status of the population. This conference serves as a valuable platform for knowledge exchange across healthcare disciplines, experience sharing, partnership building, as well as innovative solutions exploration. It will contribute to the enhancement of the wellbeing of older persons in Hong Kong and beyond.

Dr Hiromasa OKAYASU, Director of the Division of Healthy Environments and Populations at the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO), reaffirmed that the Conference offered an exceptional platform for policymakers, stakeholders, practitioners, researchers and academics to come together and address trends and the pressing challenges related to population ageing in the region. He stated, “PolyU’s School of Nursing has made significant efforts to facilitate a wide range of discussions, encompassing research and practical ideas, all with the aim of enhancing healthy ageing.”

The Healthy Ageing Conference 2025 brought together over 200 experts from 15 countries and regions.

In 2019, WHO introduced the Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) framework, transitioning from a disease-centred approach to one that assesses the intrinsic capacities of older adults—encompassing both physical and mental abilities. This comprehensive, person-centred model is designed to identify early signs of decline in intrinsic capacity, enabling timely interventions to mitigate, halt or reverse frailty and dependence in older individuals. Building on expert feedback and the latest research, WHO has recently launched ICOPE 2.0, featuring the following key enhancements:

1. Inclusion of Three Essential Factors in Ageing: In addition to evaluating six intrinsic capacities—cognition, mobility, nutrition, vision, hearing, and mental health—ICOPE 2.0 now incorporates “urinary incontinence management”, “social care and support”, “carer support” and “vaccination advocacy”, thus providing a more accurate representation of older adults' health status and quality of life.
2. Introduction of Three Filter Questions: To streamline the assessment process for cognitive, hearing, and vision capabilities, a rapid screening system has been established. If an older adult responds “yes” to any of questions asked, they will be referred directly for a comprehensive evaluation.
3. Provision of Immediate Recommendations and Interventions: Following the completion of the ICOPE 2.0 assessment, the responsible assessor is equipped to offer tailored health advice and community support based on the individual needs of the older adult.

Prof. Angela LEUNG, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Health Services, remarked, “ICOPE 2.0 enhances the entire assessment and intervention process, facilitating the early identification of older adults in need of support and care. This approach helps to mitigate or slow the decline in quality of life associated with ageing. Additionally, the HKSAR Government has been actively reinforcing support for caregivers in recent years, which aligns with the inclusion of caregiver elements in ICOPE 2.0. This underscores the importance of recognising that caring for older adults involves not only the individuals themselves but also requires the bolstering of support for caregivers, as this is crucial for sustainable solutions.”

To enhance the understanding of ICOPE 2.0 among healthcare professionals and stakeholders in elder care, the WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Health Services has developed comprehensive online and offline ICOPE 2.0 educational materials, with a training video premiered at the Conference. The video not only explain the ICOPE 2.0 framework but also demonstrates its application through real-life case studies. Additionally, the Conference featured an ICOPE Community Practice Workshop which attracted experts from various countries to explore the updates in the new version, share insights, and discuss community application strategies. This Workshop aims to benefit older adults globally and foster cross-regional knowledge sharing and technology transfer.

Beyond promoting the implementation of ICOPE 2.0 in communities, the Conference addressed a variety of topics related to healthy ageing, including policies on elderly health, technological innovations and the latest developments in community care. Key areas of focus encompassed geriatric medicine, mental health and smart ageing technologies, while also highlighting the latest research findings and practical examples of ageing studies from the Western Pacific region. 

Prof. Leung envisioned that the Conference and resource-sharing initiatives will inspire more community organisations, healthcare professionals and policymakers to actively promote healthy ageing initiatives. The School of Nursing at PolyU will continue to uphold its leadership role as a WHO Collaborating Centre, driving the development and implementation of innovative solutions for elder health, thereby making a significant contribution to the global goal of achieving healthy ageing.

The WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Health Services has developed comprehensive online and offline educational materials for ICOPE 2.0, with a training video premiered at the Conference.

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