Dr. Mikiko Kanda is the Technical Lead for the Healthy Ageing Unit at the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO) since March 2023. She leads technical support, advocacy, and policy dialogue to help Member States address health and social challenges related to population ageing, while fostering partnerships to promote integrated approaches to healthy ageing.

Previously, Dr. Kanda worked with UNAIDS in Myanmar on HIV/AIDS strategic information and with WHO South-East Asia on health systems research and early ageing initiatives. A Registered Nurse in Japan and the U.S., she holds a PhD and MHS in Global Health Policy from the University of Tokyo.

Global Policies on Ageing: Strategies and Good Practices Worldwide

Abstract

Population ageing is reshaping every region, demanding early, coordinated action. Since the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (2002), governments have converged on a life-course, rights-based approach. The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) translates that vision into four action areas that call for immediate multisectoral engagement. Building on this global consensus, the WHO Western Pacific Regional Action Plan on Healthy Ageing proposes context-sensitive pathways—from integrated and long-term care to age-friendly environments. This session distils practical lessons, identifies catalytic levers for policy coherence, and highlights tools that sub-national actors can adapt to protect rights, foster inclusion and secure sustainable social protection—showing that timely investments today are essential for equitable, healthy ageing tomorrow.