Team ‘Elderlience’ from the Department of Health Convergence Won the Contribution Prize at the 10th WHO AFHC Global Univ
- Date2024.10.28
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Community Care and Mental Health Promotion Policies for Enhancing Resilience in Elderly Living Alone Gained International Recognition
188 Cities from 9 Countries, including Korea, Taiwan, and Australia, Gathered to Discuss the Future of Global Healthy Cities
At the “Global Youth Health Forum: Community Care and Healthcare Solutions for Healthy Cities” held on September 27 (Friday) at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, the ‘Elderlience’ team from Ewha Womans University’s Department of Health Convergence (PhD candidates Kwon Mi-jung and Chae Ji-Soo, undergraduates Lim Yu-seon, Oh Ji-hyun, and Koo Ga-hyun, advised by Professor Kim Hye-kyung) received the Contribution Prize for their innovative policy proposals aimed at realizing healthy cities.
The conference was part of the 10th Alliance for Healthy Cities (AFHC) Global Conference, hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government from September 25 to 27th. The AFHC is an international network consisting of 188 cities and 53 NGOs and institutions across nine countries, including Korea, China, Japan, and Australia. With Seoul being the chair city, the conference served as a platform for member cities to share policies and explore collaborative strategies. This major international event brought together over 200 cities from nine countries to discuss innovative policies and partnerships for fostering healthy cities.
In the “Community Care and Healthcare” session, the Elderlience team presented a policy aimed at strengthening the resilience of elderly individuals living alone. Their proposal included the creation of the ‘Seoul Resilience Empowerment HUB’, a platform designed to enable elderly residents to live independently within their communities. With a vision of “Resilient Seoul, Where Healthy Aging Begins” and a mission of “Empowering Resilience of the Elderly as They Age”, the team’s innovative policy integrates community resources and collaborative efforts to comprehensively manage the health and well-being of elderly residents. Their approach is aimed at addressing critical challenges such as enhanced digital literacy, reduced health disparities, and aging-related issues. The proposal was assessed based on four criteria: relevance to the theme, implications, completeness, and creativity. Evaluation was conducted by a judging panel (80%) and on-site audience voting (20%).
Emma Campbell, General Director of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Korea, praised the Elderlience team’s presentation, emphasizing the importance of addressing the needs of vulnerable people. She commended the team’s concrete and practical solutions, noting their potential to significantly enhance mental health and self-reliance among elderly individuals living alone.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to share the policies proposed by students during the conference with the AFHC and will evaluate their feasibility based on feedback gathered during the event. Promising ideas will be considered for integration into the city’s future policies. This achievement by Ewha’s Elderlience team highlights the capability of Korean youth to excel in the field of health policy on the global stage. It also underscores the necessity of youth’s continuous participation and international collaboration in addressing critical societal challenges.