Active and Healthy ageing: first documents published

The Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) is the first result of about six months of intense work by a wide group of stakeholders that for the first time came together to develop a European Innovation Partnership on active and healthy ageing. The European Innovation Partnership aims at adopting an overarching approach to societal challenges, such as the one posed by ageing societies. The Strategic Implementation Plan has been drafted by a high levelSteering Group, jointly chaired by Vice President Neelie Kroes (responsible for the Digital Agenda and ICT-related topics) and Commissioner John Dalli (responsible for Public Health). The participants of this group include representatives from Member States, regions, industry, health and social care professionals, elderly and patient organisations and other interest groups. 

With this Strategic Implementation Plan, theSteering Groupdelivers its rationale, its vision and its suggestions for addressing the challenge of innovation for active and healthy ageing.

The SIP is composed by two documents:

• thestrategic implementation plan

• theoperational plan

The documents foresee a first set of specific actions to be launched in 2012:

• Innovative ways to ensure patients follow their prescriptions – a concerted action in at least 30 European regions;

• Innovative solutions to prevent falls and support early diagnosis for older people;

• Co-operation to help prevent functional decline and frailty, with a particular focus on malnutrition;

• Spread and promote successful innovative integrated care models for chronic diseases amongst older patients, such as through remote monitoring. Action should be taken in a number of the EU’s regions;

• Improve the uptake of interoperable ICT independent living solutions through global standards to help older people stay independent, mobile and active for longer.

In addition, networking and knowledge sharing on innovation for age-friendly buildings, cities and environments will be pursued.

The Commission foresees to call for commitment on these actions early this year and, based on the commitments, establish action groups to implement the different activities.
The European Union activities on active and healthy ageing fit into a broader objective of tackling societal challenges through a comprehensive policy in the area of research and innovation. In this sense, the EU has designated 2012 as the European Year of Active Ageing and is currently looking to achieve the targets set in the EU2020 Strategy and the Innovation Union. 

For more informationplease visit theEIP AHA website.