- 27 June 2019
Transforming the future of ageing
In Europe and around the world, people are living longer than ever before. This is one of the greatest achievements of the past century, but it also brings challenges for European societies and the EU as a whole.
SAPEA’s evidence review report shows that the ageing process needs to be transformed. Europe must tackle the challenges presented by ageing in every generation.
When it comes to predicting how people age, evidence indicates that genetic factors are relatively minor compared to lifestyle behaviours such as a healthy diet and physical activity. Policies to promote these behaviours from early childhood, and even in unborn children, contribute directly to a healthy ageing process across people’s whole lives.
Ageing in the future will take place in a very different context from the past and will be profoundly affected by phenomena such as climate change, air pollution and antibiotic resistance, as well as ongoing social changes. Policies will only be successful if they accommodate these changes.
Technology is already changing the experience of ageing, including wearable and assistive devices and the advent of AI. But barriers of acceptance and practicality must be overcome.
Education improvements at a young age are vital not only to improve individual health, but also to equip our future workforce with the skills it needs to support an ageing population in a rapidly changing society.
Working group members
Professor
Geneva University
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Professor
University College London
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Professor
Trinity College Dublin
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Professor
Trinity College Dublin
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Professor
Bar Ilan University
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Professor
Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy
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Professor
University of Montpellier
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Professor
Hospital University Ramón & Cajal
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Associate Professor
Catholic University of Sacro Cuore
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Associate Professor
Heriot-Watt University
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Professor
Jagellionian University Medical College
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Professor
Czech Technical University in Prague
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Senior Research Fellow
Institute for the Study of Societies and Knowledge
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Professor
Kauno Technical University
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Professor
University of Copenhagen
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Professor
Medical University of Graz
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Professor
Inserm
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Professor
Leiden University Medical Centre
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Professor
Maastricht University
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Professor
University of Groningen
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Professor
University of Valencia
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Policy impact
- European Commission: cited in Green Paper on Ageing: Fostering solidarity and responsibility between generations