Global Coalition on Aging (GCOA) Launches Cross-Sector Alliance Committed to Health Innovation at High-Level Forum on The Silver Economy

Alliance for Health Innovation Brings Patient, Policy, Academic, Industry & Global Health Stakeholders Together to Drive Solutions that Support a Thriving Innovation Sector & Healthy Aging 

November 8, 2022 (New York, NY) – Today, the Global Coalition on Aging (GCOA), along with cross-sector stakeholders representing patient advocacy, policy, industry, and academic communities, announced the launch of the Alliance for Health Innovation at the High-Level Forum on the Silver Economy in New York. The Alliance is dedicated to establishing the importance of innovation in achieving healthy aging and health equity through investments, policy reforms, and strategic partnerships. GCOA announced the Alliance during a panel discussion at the High-Level Forum featuring patient advocacy organizations, HIV and healthcare equity organizations, biopharmaceutical companies, and more.

“GCOA is committed to bringing stakeholders from across the global health spectrum together to advance innovation that benefits all populations, which requires a broad array of partnerships and communities to confront the complex health challenges that come with population aging,” said Michael Hodin, CEO of the Global Coalition on Aging (GCOA) and convener of the Alliance for Health Innovation. “The Alliance will play a central role in advocating for policy reforms and solutions that enable the robust and thriving innovation sector to support healthy aging, advance health equity, and ensure that people can live healthier and longer lives.”

With the next decade defined by healthy aging, the Alliance is focused on advancing policies that reimagine and reshape aging in the 21st century. Policy priorities of the Alliance include:

  • Spending on Health Innovation as an Investment
  • Re-imagine 21st Century Aging and Health Needs
  • Ensure an Access Framework is Judged by Health Equity Metrics Based on Innovation
  • Emphasize the Role of Care Delivery to All Societies
  • Encourage Strong Intellectual Property Protections

“Innovation drives the development, advancement, and discovery of medical products, treatments, and technologies necessary to achieve health equity and support healthy aging,” said Sue Peschin, President and CEO of the Alliance for Aging Research, and a founding member. “The work of the Alliance for Health Innovation will ensure that health equity and healthy aging are front and center in conversations about the value of innovation to patients.”

Today, our world faces an urgent challenge – providing quality care to the rapidly growing population of older adults. The COVID-19 pandemic, like the HIV epidemic, highlight the seriousness of existing gaps in systems and programs. Government policies that enable patients to access the best care and most effective life-changing medicines are critically important in protecting against disparities related to aging and longevity,” said Rekha Ramesh, Vice President, Head of Global Policy at Gilead Sciences, Inc., a founding member of the Alliance. “At Gilead, it is our mission to deliver innovative therapies that positively impact outcomes for patients everywhere, and we are proud to join members of the Alliance in helping inform policy solutions to ensure those who need our therapies receive them in support of healthy aging.”

“To achieve healthy aging, we must improve patient access to innovative treatments for communicable diseases such as HIV which bear a disproportionate impact on historically underserved populations,” said Scott Bertani, Director of Advocacy at HealthHIV, a founding member of the Alliance. “This collaboration of cross-sector leaders will share new ideas to address equity, access, and affordability issues that persist in our healthcare system.”

The launch of the Alliance at this year’s High-Level Forum on the Silver Economy underscores the group’s recognition that aging populations can be drivers of productivity and wealth creation by remaining active, engaged, and working. The Alliance welcomes the perspective and engagement of stakeholders across the spectrum to support and advance solutions that drive innovation and better outcomes for aging populations.

About the Global Coalition on Aging

The Global Coalition on Aging (GCOA) aims to reshape how global leaders approach and prepare for the 21st century’s profound shift in population aging. Through research, public policy analysis, advocacy and strategic communications, GCOA is advancing innovative policy and market solutions and working to ensure global aging is a path to health, productivity, and economic growth.

About the High-Level Forum on The Silver Economy

The Silver Economy Forum 2022 launches new ideas and explores unique collaborations and discoveries that impact healthy aging for older people, and everyone. SEF 2022 focuses on the policies and practices required to leverage the potential of the $17 trillion Silver Economy and the potential investment opportunities of the market.

Latest Developments

We keep our members and partners in touch with the most recent updates and opinions in the worldwide dialogue on population longevity and related issues.

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World Population Reaches 8bn As It Grows Older

The world’s population reached 8bn people on Tuesday and will hit 9bn in 15 years as it experiences an unprecedented surge in the number of older people, according to the latest UN data. The global fertility rate has more than halved since the 1950s to 2.3 births per woman. With mortality also falling, the number of people aged 65 and over is expected to rise from 783mn in 2022 to 1bn by 2030 and reach 1.4bn by 2043, the UN population data revealed.

Global Coalition on Aging (GCOA) Launches Cross-Sector Alliance Committed to Health Innovation at High-Level Forum on The Silver Economy

Today, the Global Coalition on Aging (GCOA), along with cross-sector stakeholders representing patient advocacy, policy, industry, and academic communities, announced the launch of the Alliance for Health Innovation at the High-Level Forum on the Silver Economy in New York. The Alliance is dedicated to establishing the importance of innovation in achieving healthy aging and health equity through investments, policy reforms, and strategic partnerships.

Japan Must Face Up to Growing Danger of Drug-resistant Germs

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A Bipartisan Bill Could Prevent The Next Pandemic

In Washington, Republicans and Democrats are typically at loggerheads when it comes to healthcare policy. Just consider the recent Inflation Reduction Act, which made extensive changes to Medicare and also extended Affordable Care Act subsidies. Every single congressional Democrat voted for the legislation, while every single member of the GOP voted against it. But occasionally, a bill is such an obviously good idea, and so desperately needed, that it commands significant bipartisan support. The PASTEUR Act, co-sponsored by 31 Democrats and 31 Republicans in the House and two members of each party in the Senate, is just such a bill.

Korea Must Act Now to Combat Growing AMR Threat

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Policy Statement on the Impact of Price Negotiations on Innovation, Healthy Aging and Equity

As the CEO of the Global Coalition on Aging (GCOA) and a newly formed cross-sector Alliance for Health Innovation, we write to express our deep concern with the current legislation that allows for price “negotiations” in Medicare – a thinly veiled signal for America’s plunge into price controls that will have a devastating and adverse impact on biopharmaceutical innovation and our nations’ ability to support healthy aging.