ASEAN Health Cluster Meeting in Myanmar
In June, ADI Regional Director for Asia-Pacific, DY Suharya, was invited to the ASEAN Health Cluster Meeting on promoting Healthy Lifestyle, a hybrid meeting, hosted in Myanmar, that welcomed 170 representatives from 10 countries in the Southeast Asia region and served as a crucial platform for directing efforts towards achieving dementia-friendly policies at national levels.
DY addressed the delegations, updating the ASEAN Secretariat Member States on ADI’s ongoing work in international and regional dementia policy and urging them to join ADI’s call for a 10-year extension to the World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan on the public health response to dementia.
With only four National Dementia Plans being implemented in the Southeast Asian region, ADI welcomed the positive reception of ASEAN Member States during the meeting towards improving dementia policy. The ASEAN health cluster’s Chair from Myanmar Dr Myint Myint Than, Director General of the Department of Public Health, MoH Myanmar and Vice Chair from the Philippines Azucena Milana-Dayanghirang MD, Assistant Secretary and Executive Director IV Dept of Health encouraged all ASEAN Member States, including Myanmar, to start developing their National Dementia Plans as soon as possible in light of this growing challenge for the region.
Future of Aging Summit, Toronto
DY Suharya, joined the RTOERO Foundation, the largest provider of non profit group health insurance for the education retiree community in Canada, “Future of Aging Summit” in Toronto, Canada. This event was designed to explore challenges surrounding aging and foster collaboration on innovative solutions for the future.
DY was invited as the keynote speaker of the day, delivering a dinner keynote titled ‘From Grassroots Advocacy to Systemic Change’. She shared insights from her time as the founder of Alzheimer Indonesia and her experience in starting a movement across the ADI Asia-Pacific region to help those living with dementia and their caregivers. Her keynote focused on how individuals and institutions can take action to advocate for aging populations, effect change beyond short-term electoral cycles, and coordinate national and international advocacy towards better policies. Minister of Workforce Hons. Seamus O’Regan complimented ADI’s work at the summit and approx. Over 100 participants attended the summit in-person as well as online
On her participation in the International Future Aging Summit organised by RTOERO in Toronto, Canada. DY said:
“Thank you for the opportunity to share our work on grassroots advocacy to create impact to systemic change, all for the objective to improve quality life for people with dementia and family carers around the world”
Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Awards 2024
Earlier in May, DY also joined the Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Awards 2024 in Singapore lead by Janice Chia from Ageing Asia as one of the judges to review the innovative contributions and advancements in eldercare across the Asia Pacific region. As a judge in this event, DY had the privilege to review 44 companies divided to 9 categories under innovations of the year, operator of the year and facility of the year including:I Dementia Care Program, Dementia Technology, Ageing in Place, Active Ageing, Residential Aged Care, Palliative Care, Caregiver Model and Day Care Center