Milagros Maylin and intergenerational solidarity in the search for well-being

Miracles Maylin is currently Secretary of General Welfare in the Government of the City of Buenos Aires. As a graduate in Communication Sciences (Universidad Austral) and a Master in Business Administration (IAE), she has sought to enrich the debate on public policies focused on the second half of life.

“Age discrimination is a complex and often unaddressed problem in health, human rights and development, affecting both older and younger populations across the planet,” he says. Miracles Maylinwho from her previous position as General Director of Technology for the Elderly, had the challenge of carrying out two programs of great recognition: + SIMPLE, Digital Inclusion for the largest Y Friendly Cities for the Elderly.

These are institutional projects from the State that seek inclusion and intersectoral work in pursuit of better social and community integration. Something that is in line with the plan for the Decade of Healthy Aging 2020-2030 that incorporates resources and actions from both the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Milagros Maylin: “Age discrimination is a problem in terms of health, human rights and development”

Societies have been mutating due to technological advances and collective achievements that have made it possible for life expectancy in almost the entire globe to increase significantly. The success in combating deadly diseases in childhood, maternal mortality and, more recently, mortality at ages
more advanced, has brought new challenges and the opportunity to think about life as a whole.

Currently, most people can expect to live beyond 60 years, which has an impact on life planning and societies. For Miracles Maylinit is important to “diversify existing social models on old age, recognize and incorporate older people as transmitters of values ​​and essential knowledge for new generations, in order to create meeting and exchange spaces and strategies”.

Estimates indicate that by the end of the Decade of Healthy Aging (2020-2030), the number of people aged 60 and over will have increased by 34%, from 1 billion in 2019 to 1.4 billion. By 2050, the global population of older people will more than double to 2.1 billion.

But, in addition, by 2050 there will be more than twice as many people over 60 as children under 5 years of age and they will outnumber adolescents and young people between the ages of 15 and 24.

The truth is that the pace of the aging of societies is accelerating and this requires not only that people in the second half of life identify their challenges and their possibilities, but that society as a whole does so, for which « intergenerational activities can lead to a greater sense of social connection and strengthen solidarity,” he says. Miracles Maylin.

Miracles Maylin and social inclusion in the second half of life

Changing our way of thinking, feeling and acting regarding age and aging is one of the great challenges posed by the Decade of Healthy Aging (2020-2030) for the different member states:

• Adopt or ratify legislative provisions aimed at prohibiting discrimination on the basis of age and guarantee that there are mechanisms for its application.
• Amend or repeal any law, policy, or program that allows direct discrimination
  or indirectly for reasons of age, in particular in matters of health, employment and
  lifelong learning, and that impedes the participation and access of
  people to benefits.
• Support the development and implementation of programs aimed at reducing and eliminating
  ageism in various sectors, including health, employment and education.
• Support the collection and dissemination of evidence-based information and
  disaggregated by age on healthy aging and the contribution of
  old people.
• Support the organization of educational and intergenerational activities aimed at
  reduce ageism and foster intergenerational solidarity, particularly in
  schools.
• Support the development and implementation of activities aimed at reducing the
  self-directed ageism.
• Organize campaigns based on research on ageism to increase the
  public knowledge and understanding of healthy ageing.
  Ensuring that the media offer a balanced view of the
  aging.

The Decade of Healthy Aging (2020-2030) provides a framework and offers opportunities to harmonize actions from different sectors and stakeholders to facilitate collaboration in pursuit of healthy ageing.

As always, the availability and effective use of resources is central. The WHO provides technical support to the different member countries on issues related to healthy ageing. A response is required that commits the whole of government and society. Intergenerational solidarity is essential to rethink, redefine and seek well-being.