As
a
WHO
Collaborating
Centre
for
Community
Health
Service,
the
School
of
Nursing
at
PolyU,
in
collaboration
with
the
PolyU
RISA,
is
hosting
the
Healthy
Ageing
Conference
2025.
Distinguished
guests
presided
over
the
inaugural
ceremony,
including
Dr
Libby
LEE,
the
Acting
Secretary
for
Health
of
the
Government
of
HKSAR
(centre);
Prof.
Jin-Guang
TENG,
President
of
PolyU
(6th
from
the
right);
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
(6th
from
the
left);
Dr
Ching-choi
LAM,
Member
of
Executive
Council
of
HKSAR
Government
and
Chief
Executive
Officer
of
Haven
of
Hope
Christian
Service
(5th
from
the
right);
Dr
Hiromasa
OKAYASU,
Director
of
the
Division
of
Healthy
Environments
and
Populations
at
the
WHO
WPRO
(5th
from
the
left);
Prof.
Kar-kan
LING,
Interim
Vice
President
(Campus
Development
and
Facilities)
of
PolyU
(4th
from
the
right);
Dr
Raymond
HO,
Assistant
Director
(Elderly
Health)
of
the
Department
of
Health
of
HKSAR
(4th
from
the
left);
Prof.
Angela
LEUNG,
Director
of
the
WHO
Collaborating
Centre
for
Community
Health
Services
HKSAR
(3rd
from
the
right);
Prof.
David
SHUM,
Dean
of
Faculty
of
Health
and
Social
Sciences
of
PolyU
(3rd
from
the
left);
Prof.
ZHENG
Yongping,
Henry
G.
Leong
Professor
in
Biomedical
Engineering,
Chair
Professor
of
Biomedical
Engineering
of
the
Department
of
Biomedical
Engineering,
and
Director
of
RISA
of
PolyU
(2nd
from
the
right);
Prof.
Janelle
YORKE,
Chair
Professor
of
Nursing
and
Head
of
School,
School
of
Nursing
of
PolyU
(2nd
from
the
left);
Prof.
Jed
MONTAYRE,
Associate
Head
(Strategy)
and
Associate
Professor,
School
of
Nursing
of
PolyU
(1st
from
the
right);
and
Prof.
Ivy
ZHAO,
Assistant
Professor
of
School
of
Nursing,
and
Deputy
Director
of
WHO
Collaborating
Centre
for
Community
Health
Services
of
PolyU
(1st
from
the
left).
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
said,
“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 on 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 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 definitely 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 the pressing trends and challenges related to population ageing in the region. He stated, “PolyU’s School of Nursing made significant efforts to facilitate a wide range of discussions, encompassing research and practical ideas, all with the aim of enhancing healthy ageing.”
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:
- 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.
- 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 these questions, they will be referred directly for a comprehensive evaluation.
- 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 seamlessly 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 the necessity of bolstering support for caregivers, as this is crucial for sustainable solutions.”
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.
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
educational
materials
for
ICOPE
2.0,
with
a
training
video
premiered
at
the
conference.
The
video
not
only
elucidates
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
initiative
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.
Hashtag: #HealthyAgeingConference2025 #WorldHealthOrganization #WHO#HealthyAgeing #PolyU #SchoolofNursing #Elderly #ICOPE2.0 #WHOCollaboratingCentreforCommunityHealthServices
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