27
Jan

Many countries face ageing populations, growing youth bulges, increased migration, and rapid urbanization, leading to worldwide profound demographic transitions. These changes necessitate life-course approaches to care, encompassing maternal and child health, long-term care, and palliative care, and place new demands on social protection systems and community-based services.

Demographic transitions are reshaping where and how health services must be delivered. Rapid population ageing means a much larger share of people now require continuous, home- and community-based long-term care. At the same time, increasing urbanisation, migration, and youth mobility mean that more people need to access essential health services away from their place of origin, sometimes across borders or in settings of crisis. These shifts require health systems to become more adaptable and equipped to ensure equitable, uninterrupted care for all, everywhere.

Digital health technologies such as telemedicine, remote monitoring, and interoperable health records can help bridge gaps in geographically uneven service delivery, improve the efficiency of long-term care, and support inclusive policies for migrants, informal workers, and people with disabilities.

At the same time, gender equity remains a cross-cutting priority. Health must be designed to address gender-related barriers, promote inclusive participation, and ensure that innovations do not reinforce existing inequalities.

This side meeting, co-organized by IFMSA and the DTH Lab, will bring youth and stakeholders together to respond to demographic shifts, promote intergenerational solidarity, and ensure equitable health outcomes across diverse populations, advancing Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.