International Day of Older Persons 2026: Understanding what healthy longevity requires in practice
8 October 2026
As the world marks the International Day of Older Persons, we reflect on how research can help societies adapt to longer lives and realise the opportunities longevity brings.
Longer lives are one of the defining demographic shifts of our time. This year's International Day of Older Persons theme, "The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives", invites reflection on what healthy longevity requires in practice.
At GERI, we translate research into programmes, services and policies that support healthy ageing. Rather than viewing longevity solely as a healthcare challenge, our work examines factors that influence ageing outcomes, including cognition, frailty, social connection and the implementation of evidence-based interventions.
From supporting functional ability through intrinsic capacity research and the IMPACTFrail programme in primary care, to evaluating how cognitive health can be strengthened in the community through the AI-assisted ADL+ 2.0 intervention led by the Institute of Geriatrics and Active Ageing, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, GERI researchers work with healthcare practitioners and community partners to understand how evidence can be applied in real-world settings.
As populations continue to age, research has an important role to play in helping societies adapt to longer lives, support healthy ageing, and realise the opportunities longevity brings.
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