World Congress on Healthy Ageing a success
SANDTON – The second World Congress on Healthy Ageing came to a successful close at the Sandton Convention Centre.
Director of Synergy Business Events, Justin Hawes, who organised the event and is a director of the Healthy Ageing Society of Africa, said the congress was a great success with more than 500 delegates from 28 countries attending.
The theme of the conference this year was Bridging the Ageing Divide. The conference provided a mix of themes and topics which targeted caregiver, consumer and academic audiences, coupled with a selection of international and local speakers who provided a wealth of information on healthy ageing.
“I believe there are three great positives we can draw from the conference,” said Hawes.
“Firstly, the speakers were excellent. Experts in healthy ageing from all over the globe, including Hawaii, the United Kingdom, Denmark and Malaysia, spoke on healthy ageing issues such as diet, exercise, sexuality, caregiver burnout, ageing and technology, and healthy cities. There was an extraordinary wealth of information for congress attendees.”
Dr Ryan Fuller, World Congress on Healthy Ageing Scientific Chair and Healthy Ageing Society of Africa director said, “Creating an innovative conference needs commitment from a variety of stakeholders, not least of whom are the representatives of the host city. We were delighted to have the City of Johannesburg’s involvement in the conference and honoured to have had the mayor open the conference.”
Fuller added that there was clear evidence over the duration of the congress that multiple bridges to improve the lives of many elderly people were established.
“We are firmly committed to pursuing legacy projects such as mapping health-seeking behaviour among the elderly,” he said.
In a ceremonial end to the congress, and to herald the start of the third conference that will be held in Istanbul in 2018, the City of Johannesburg’s executive director of health, Dr Refik Bismilla, handed over a special plaque to Turkey’s ambassador to South Africa, Kaan Esener.
Details: www.wcha2015.com
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