The International Institute on Ageing (INIA), a United Nations entity, has entered into an online Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China's Henan University of Chinese Medicine (HUCM) to enhance cooperation in the field of ageing training. As per the MoU, the two entities will collaborate to establish an INIA training centre in Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan Province in central China. During the signing ceremony, Marvin Formosa, Director of INIA, expressed optimism about the partnership, emphasizing the institute's longstanding positive relationship with China and its established collaborations with various Chinese governmental organizations and research institutions.
He mentioned that INIA has provided training to a significant number of management professionals and staff in China. Peng Xin, the vice principal of HUCM, highlighted the distinctive impact and role of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the rehabilitation, care, nursing, and health preservation of the elderly. Peng outlined collaborative objectives, emphasizing the mutual commitment to enhancing research and training exchanges that promote TCM's role in the study of ageing and dementia diseases. Established in 1988 by the United Nations and the Government of Malta, INIA serves as an international institute on ageing, offering multidisciplinary education and training related to ageing, and facilitating the exchange of information on ageing welfare.
In 1968, Malta was the first to bring up the issue of Aging as a global concern at the United Nations. Subsequently, the General Assembly convened the World Assembly on Ageing in 1982, during which Resolution 37/51 was adopted. This resolution recommended, among other things, the promotion of training and research, as well as the exchange of information and knowledge to establish an international foundation for social policies and actions. Highlighting the global demographic shift towards an ageing population, the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized in October 2023 that the number of individuals aged over 60 is projected to double by 2050, reaching nearly 2.1 billion.
