1. MHAS just completed our Medical Disability Seminar 2022 that was hosted on 1 st and 2 nd Oct 2022. The Organising Chairperson, Prof Dr Philip George, appreciated the time, contributions and efforts of all 98 participants who attended. And of those who made the event possible with their commitment as the Seminar Organizing Committee Members (12), Speakers (26) or Volunteers (11). This seminar also concluded with a promised output of a “Consensus Statement” which will be tabled with key stakeholders in the coming months. More information on this seminar is available here.

2. During the Medical Disability Seminar 2022, we also celebrated International Day of Older Persons. Listed below is a brief overview on this:

The worldwide demographic transformation calls for international cooperation to go hand in hand. The idea is to urge cooperation across several pertinent areas to improve the lives of the elderly. Because of this, the United Nations has designated the decade from 2021 to 2030 for healthy ageing. Like other countries, a similar scenario exists in Malaysia; in less than ten years, we will have a sizable number of senior individuals. These trends have drawn considerable attention, making “International Day of Older Persons (IDOP) a pivotal opportunity to address the challenges encountered by the elderly in our society”. It reminds us that living longer opens opportunities for older persons, their families, and the community. Additional years offer a strategic way to engage in innovative pursuits like higher learning, a new area of work, or rekindling a long-forgotten interest. Henceforth, MHAS recognizes this year as IDOP with a theme,  Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World”. This is an opportunity to raise awareness for improving the quality of life of the elderly and empowering them to take control of their health and wellness alongside encouraging cooperation across relevant sectors to foster environments that promote healthy ageing.

To view the video, click here:

3. MHAS, with the collaboration of the Penang State Government, is finalizing the Age-Friendly City proposal in the next week or so. We will keep you updated on this in our next edition.

4. MHAS will be hosting its 17th AGM in the next month or so. We are excited that our family is growing, but even a bigger family needs the support of newbies who can help us with the goals of advocating for healthy ageing in the coming years.

Finally, we leave with a brief overview of Healthy Ageing: Many factors influence healthy ageing. Some of these, such as genetics, are not in our control. Others — like exercise, a healthy diet, going to the doctor regularly, and taking care of our mental health — are within our reach. Evidence has identified actions an individual can take to help manage one’s health, live as independently as possible, and maintain one’s quality of life as one age.