Public-private partnership between UN groups and private sector yields benefits for older persons

New York, NEW YORK (May 31, 2022) The Healthy Ageing Innovation Prize marked its second year during the 2022 WSIS Forum. The Prize is a partnership and collaboration with the Global Coalition on Aging, ITU, UN DESA, and the WHO, in support of the Decade of Healthy Ageing.

Submissions came from around the globe – governments, civil society, the private sector, and academia – with both large and small endeavors reaching out to be a part of this program.  Interest in the Prize grew more than 40% from last year, with 115 submissions from 40 countries. Judges served from UN agencies as well as the private sector and academia.

Michael Hodin, CEO of Global Coalition on Aging, the originator and sponsor of the Prize, is pleased with this year’s response. “In just two short years, we have made an enormous impact in demonstrating the opportunities for technology innovations in serving the needs of older persons – an area that had focused elsewhere for too long.”

The theme this year focused on digital technologies to address specific health-related categories: Alzheimer’s Disease & Cognitive Decline, Elder Caregiving, Transportation & Mobility, Frailty, and Adult Immunization, all areas that impact the healthy aging of older people.  “The Healthy Ageing Innovation Prize creates a whole new platform for collaboration and promotes new innovations to deliver integrated health and long-term care for older persons,” said Anshu Banerjee, Director, Maternal, Newborn Child & Adolescent Health & Ageing, World Health Organization. Dr. Banerjee went on to congratulate all finalists, “It has been an honor to be one of the judges and fantastic that we were able to bring 115 submissions from over 40 countries around the world. The diversity across innovators, geographies, gender, and all stakeholders is a testament to the growing global momentum for the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing itself.”

Last year’s winner, Age Care Technologies, has gone on to become an integral partner, with other WSIS stakeholders, with initiatives in integrated care and a driving force behind a new alliance committed to healthy aging for older persons. Ian Philp, the Founder and CEO of Age Care Technologies said, “It was a huge honor for Age Care Technologies to have won the 2021 inaugural WSIS Healthy Ageing Innovation Prize and to be recognized in this way by global leaders working to promote healthy aging and the best in care for older people. The award has helped us accelerate our mission to improve the lives of older people globally, through uptake of our digital technology, to allow older people to report what really matters to them for their health, independence, and wellbeing, and connect them to information resources, local services, and pathways of care to address their priorities for support. The award helps us support the implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goals for health and wellbeing and the World Health Organization program for promoting integrated care for older people (ICOPE), helping older people optimize their functional capabilities to be able to do the things which give their lives meaning. I wish all this year’s finalists and the eventual winner the same boost which Age Care Technologies has received from participating in the WSIS Prize.“

HiNouNou, the winner for 2022, among the eleven finalists, showcased a home wellness kit, which collects data to create a digital twin of a patient.  Their AI algorithm helps analyze and detect important chronic diseases, while sharing that data between home, hospital, and medical professionals. HiNouNou’s patient-centric platform has proven that personalized healthcare can be delivered no matter where patients are located. “We are pleased to be recognized by the United Nations’ organizing bodies of the World Summit on the Information Society among all the participants,” said Charles Bark, CEO of HiNouNou. He added, “This Healthy Ageing Innovation Prize symbolizes our love and respect for our parents. It also symbolizes our endurance, resilience, and sweat in our roller coaster entrepreneurial journey. Thanks for the continuous support of wonderful persons from our dream team, friends, partners, and customers who believed in us.”

The finalists and the winner will be brought together in more activities throughout the year to encourage collaboration as WSIS and their stakeholders remain fully committed to moving innovations ahead that can benefit the health of older people.

About HiNouNou

HiNounou founded by French entrepreneur Charles Bark, spent 12 years in R&D in the US, Canada, France, and China in AI, IoT and service robotics. The company’s purpose is to help seniors to live longer, healthier, and happier at home and bring peace of mind to their children who live far from them.

HiNounou provides an open AI platform ecosystem that is patient centric, prioritizing prevention over disease management. The multilingual senior friendly super APP creates a patient digital twin that is predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory. The “pay-per-use” system allows affordability even in the poorest countries to promote social health equality.

HiNounou has opened in 12 countries in four continents. The company aims to scale healthy, active aging digital solutions worldwide, with the help of its partners, such as the World Economic Forum, the United Nations, ITU, GCOA, and WSIS.