Announcement

Competition for the best media coverage of healthy ageing

in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region

The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean is pleased to announce a competition for the best media work that addresses healthy ageing in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region. The competition is being organized on the occasion of World Health Day 2012. This year, World Health Day has adopted the slogan, “Good health adds life to years”. The main message is that changes in lifestyle and improvements in global health mean people are living longer and healthier lives. Despite this positive trend, special health challenges arise that require health providers and societies to be prepared to meet the needs of older populations, health professionals in old age care to be trained and age-friendly settings established.

Why the theme of healthy ageing?

Over the past century life expectancy has increased dramatically and the world will soon have a greater number of older people than children. People aged 60 years and older are the fastest growing age group worldwide; globally this population group represents 650 million people. By 2050, this population is expected to reach 2 billion. Life expectancy in countries such as Japan and France is already more than 80 years. However, in several countries in Africa it is only 40 years.

Health expenditure increases with age and is concentrated in the last two years of life, regardless of how old a person is. As people live longer, it is important to ensure that their added years are healthy, so that health care costs can be kept manageable. Healthy older people represent a valuable resource for their families, communities and economies.

      Categories for the contest

       The competition covers work published or broadcast on the web, radio or television.

Conditions

1. Entries should have been published or broadcast between 1 January 2011 and 15 March 2012.

2. Entries should include information of benefit to the public, such as ways in which to ensure provision of care for older people, involving older people as active members of society and removing obstacles which older people face as a result of unawareness of their needs.

3. Web material should be provided on DVD and the URL given.

4.  Video material should be sent on CD, DVD or video.

5. Radio material should be sent on high resolution audiotape or CD.

6. Deadline for receipt of entries is 15 March 2012.

7. WHO retains the right to use sections of submitted material in its own productions to further raise health awareness.

Prizes

A first prize of US$ 1000 plus a WHO shield and a second prize of US$ 500 and certificate of appreciation will be issued to each of the categories (web, television and radio).

Mailing address

Entries should be sent to:

WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean

PO Box 7608,

Nasr City 11371, Cairo, Egypt

Fax: +20 2 2276 5455
Tel: +20 2 2276 5020/21

For more information on aging and health, please visit:

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