HelpAge International


HelpAge International is an international NGO that helps older people claim their rights, challenge discrimination, and overcome poverty, so that they can lead dignified, secure, active and healthy lives.
Five organisations from Canada, Colombia, Kenya, India and the United Kingdom set up HelpAge International in 1983 to provide a network to support older people worldwide.
HelpAge International now has well over 100 affiliates and works with more than 200 other partners in more than 70 countries.
HelpAge works for and with older people by: lobbying governments to achieve policy change, undertaking research programmes, and via community projects on the ground. The organisation focuses on issues that affect older people worldwide, such as disaster risk reduction and climate change, rights, health, social protection, HIV and AIDS, and work. HelpAge also works in emergency responses, such as Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, and the Earthquake in Nepal. HelpAge also campaigns around and influences the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
HelpAge's main campaign, Age Demands Action, is a grassroots movement of older and younger activists across the world, who fight for a better and fairer world for older people. HelpAge is a part of other campaigning coalitions, most recently the Action/2015 campaign. Action/2015 All Ages has seen direct support from Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Bolivian Actress Erika Andia. Kenyan singer, Avril, together with John Katana, John Nzenze, Teddy Kalanda Harrison, Dar Mjomba, Judith Bwire, and the Afro-Simba Band, recorded Hoja Zetu especially for the campaign.
HelpAge International has offices in London and Brussels plus nine regional centres coordinating their work in Africa, the Caribbean, East Asia, Eastern Europe/Central Asia, European Union, Latin America, London, Middle East, and South Asia.

Global AgeWatch Index

HelpAge's flagship product is the Global AgeWatch Index, launched in 2013, which ranks countries by how well their aging populations are faring. It is based on four domains that are key enablers of older people's wellbeing: income, health, capabilities, and enabling environments.

Measuring criteria

There are four domains measuring the index. Each domain has more detailed indicators.
  1. Income security
  2. #Pension income coverage
  3. #Poverty rate in old age
  4. #Relative welfare of older people
  5. #GNI per capita
  6. Health status
  7. #Life expectancy at 60
  8. #Healthy life expectancy at 60
  9. #Psychological wellbeing
  10. Capability
  11. #Employment of older people
  12. #Educational status of older people
  13. Enabling environment
  14. #Social connections
  15. #Physical safety
  16. #Civic freedom
  17. #Access to public transport

    Top 25 Global AgeWatch Index 2015