Forum addresses paths to healthy aging

In search of solutions to achieve healthy aging as countries around the globe are set to join the "super-aged" club, the 2024 Health Ageing Forum on Tuesday shed light on the value of disease prevention to increase the number of years lived in good health.

The forum, hosted by the British Embassy in Seoul and GSK Korea, was attended by health care experts, scholars and business representatives from Korea and overseas.

In his opening remarks, British Ambassador Colin Crooks underscored the importance of quarantine in preventing infectious diseases in the aging society to protect vulnerable senior citizens.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us how crucial preventing disease is. And as population aging is becoming a global trend, implementing preventative measures to safeguard the elderly from health issues has become an essential task in many countries, including the UK," he said.

Referring to disease prevention as one of the essential factors en route to healthy aging, Maurizio Borgatta, the general manager of GSK Korea, said that GSK, as a leading biopharmaceutical firm, would come up with ways to reduce infectious diseases through innovative drugs.

Cho Bi-ryong, a family medicine professor at Seoul National University Hospital, called for expanding the National Immunization Program for vulnerable adults, stressing that vaccination played a crucial role in preventing chronic disease and promoting the well-being of aging individuals.

Currently, the NIP, managed by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, offers free vaccinations for 20 infectious diseases across various stages of life, five of which are for adults. The program aims to ensure that individuals of all ages receive necessary vaccinations to protect against infectious diseases.

"Vaccination is the most cost-effective method in public health for lowering the occurrence of preventable diseases within the aging population. It can also reduce medical costs related to other diseases that are not directly targeted by the vaccine," the professor noted.