A blog from Brussels

I have had the pleasure of participating in a summit for promoting healthy ageing through increasing uptake of vaccination in older people. The summit has been convened and led by Jane Barrett of the International Federation on Aging. There are representatives here from health care, policy, advocacy and industry. With such diverse backgrounds and expertise there has been high quality and energetic discussion. The central message is that we should advocate for higher uptake of vaccination in older people as a means to promote healthy ageing, relieve suffering in old age, strengthen relationships across the generations and create sustainable health care systems throughout the world.

I will be talking about the EASYCare Health project tomorrow. I hope to create new collaborations to improve vaccines uptake through our EASYCare Health networks of front line people working with older people.

There are colleagues here from Brazil and Mexico who are leading the promotion of healthy ageing in their countries. The IFA are interested in combining forces for the meeting we are planning to take place in Costa Rica next year. With IFA support we may be able to invite further colleagues including Alexandre Brandao from Brazil and Maria Fernandez Garcia Garcia from Mexico. Such wonderful names!

I have also started discussions, to be continued over dinner tonight, with a brilliant public health global leader, Alex Adjagba, originally from Benin, now based in Lyon. Together, we hope to develop the vaccines module in the EASYCare assessment, and seek sponsorship for testing and implementation in France and in Africa. There are so many wonderful people here, but I'll try to keep plans to within what we are able to take on for now!

Ian