Chinese organizations awarded for addressing challenges in aging societies

Eight organizations from Japan, China, and Thailand were selected as best practices in Asia to address the challenges facing rapidly aging societies.

The Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) announced the winners of the 2022 Healthy Aging Prize for Asian Innovation (HAPI) on Thursday.

This year marked the third round of awards, and despite the constraints on organizations caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, applications were received this year from organizations across nine countries or regions in East and Southeast Asia.

From among these, eight awardees were recognized for their innovative work in the field of aging. Grand Prize and Second Prize winners were selected in the three categories of Technology & Innovation, Community-Based Initiatives, and Supporting Self-Reliance.

Selections were made by an international committee of eight experts from throughout the region. In addition, this year, in recognition of the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism that was launched last year in support of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, the committee awarded a 2022 Special Prize for Combatting Ageism as well.

This year's applicant pool saw an increased number of organizations from China, including two of the Grand Prize winners. We also saw a rise in applications focused on dementia—initiatives that raise awareness and understanding of dementia and brain health, and initiatives that seek to remove the stigma surrounding it.

Many applications introduced innovations that create an enabling environment for people who wish to remain in their communities as they age, and that seek to benefit both older people and local economies.

The Grand Prize and Special Prize winners will receive their awards on November 8, 2022, at a special ceremony at the conclusion of the AHWIN Forum, a high-level, multisector dialogue on aging issues to be held at the Tokyo Prince Hotel in Tokyo, Japan.