Tokyo, Japan — 29th October 2024 ——The International Day of Care of Support GOLTC online event:  Towards robust, responsive and equitable Long-Term Care systems around the world, a day long event was jointly organized by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and WHO Centre for Health Development, WHO Kobe Centre (WKC). DIHAC study team participated in the event.

DIHAC study Principal Investigator Associate Professor Myo Nyein Aung was invited to give presentation in the session of “Financing, with a focus on Low- and Middle-Income Countries”. His presentation entitled ‘Effectiveness of a community-integrated intermediary care (CIIC) service model for Thai older adults’ under the session of financing, with a focus on Low- and Middle-Income Countries. He shared the insights of the CIIC project which was funded by WKC.

PI Associate Professor Myo Nyein Aung explained the overview of long-term care models and healthy ageing as a strategy for both high income and low-middle income countries. He presented evidence from Community Integrated Intermediary Care (CIIC): a cluster randomized controlled trial in Thailand. He highlighted that the CIIC model is scalable in Thailand as well as low and middle-income countries. Importantly he advocated community empowerment, advocacy and volunteerism as cores to implement the CIIC model.

The panel consisted of panelists Sarah Barber (WHO Centre for Health development (WKC), Kobe, Japan), Myo Nyein Aung (Juntendo University, Japan), Tirta Sutedjo (Director of Poverty Alleviation and Community Empowerment, Ministry of National Development Planning, Bappenas, Indonesia), and Elena Moore (University of Cape Town, South Africa). The discussion of panelists from different countries brought the challenges in financing long-term care in low and middle-income countries and the need to invest in healthy ageing and preparing for the unmet needs.