Statement on Decade of Healthy Ageing

For over 60 years, FIGO has collaborated with the world's top health bodies to work towards the improvement of women's health globally.

FIGO is in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO), and attending the 146th WHO Executive Board Meeting in Geneva.

This week we shared our statement on the Director General’s Report on the Development of a proposal for a Decade of Healthy Ageing 2020–2030

FIGO (International Federation Gynecology and Obstetrics) is pleased to see the WHO’s commitment to implementing the global strategy and action plan on ageing and health.

We confirm that as a global federation we endorse the proposal for a Decade of Healthy Ageing 2020-2030, and to request the Director-General to report back on progress in the implementation of the Decade of Healthy Ageing to the Seventy-sixth, seventy-eighth and Eighty-second World Health Assembly.

FIGO aspire to drive progress towards ensuring that women of the world achieve the highest possible standards of health and wellbeing throughout their lives.

Women outlive men in most societies, and face gender-based discrimination, aggravating hazards ranging from chronic health problems to poverty and widowhood.  By 2025, 1.1 billion women worldwide will have entered the menopause, and we need to start giving attention to their health.

FIGO members have an unparalleled opportunity to prevent disease as we see women at regular intervals throughout their lives. Our focus is on prevention; assessing increased risks in young women to give them a healthy middle and end through anticipating the future for those who journey into older age.

FIGO also leads on multi-country programmes, guidelines, nurturing leadership and capacity building and education initiatives that change behaviours and perceptions at a regional, national and global level.

We support the consultative process led by member states and engaging UN entities and international organisations. With diverse voices from throughout our 132 National Member Societies, in all six regions, we request that FIGO is involved in any ongoing consultations and surveys.

FIGO would be pleased to contribute to the WHO’s platform to support the development of the proposal to further expand collaboration and strengthen existing alliances to work towards a world in which every woman can live a longer and healthier life.