Murdoch University’s Centre for Healthy Ageing has today welcomed the United Nations General Assembly declaring 2021-2030 the Decade of Healthy Ageing.

Associate Professor Hamid Sohrabi, Director of the Centre for Healthy Ageing said the declaration was the highest recognition for the field of research aiming at improving health-span rather than being focused on lifespan.

“While increasing longevity is important, there is much more we can do to improve the functional capacity of older adults to continue staying able, active and resourceful for themselves, their families and the society at large,” Professor Sohrabi said.

“Our research does not just focus on how long people live, but how well they live.

“The recognition by the UN of this important health issue is a timely acknowledgement of the research that our newly established Centre for Healthy Ageing at Murdoch University is undertaking.

“The Centre’s work includes several teams of highly motivated researchers working on understanding the obstacles of healthy ageing and improving the mental, physical, and functional abilities of older adults.

“Our Centre runs several projects, including a WA Government supported project on the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of older adults to identify new ways of increasing resilience and functionality in future pandemics, if they occur.”

Associate Professor Sohrabi said the Centre’s core research areas included ageing and cognition; ageing and function; ageing and physical health; ageing and mental health; health economics and epidemiology of ageing; and ageing and societal research.

“This will be an important decade in research into and promotion of healthy ageing in Australia and throughout the world,” Associate Professor Sohrabi said.