As countries across Africa navigate the demographic transition toward ageing societies, the need for accurate, actionable data on the health and social care needs of older people is increasingly urgent. The CARE∞TRACK initiative, developed through collaboration with the World Health Organization’s Centre for Health Development (WHO Kobe Centre) and leading global researchers, is a growing international effort to improve the methodology, measurement, and monitoring of unmet care needs in older populations. This interactive workshop will introduce CARE∞TRACK, explore its digital tools and resources, and engage participants in co-developing a research and policy agenda relevant to the African context.

The session will begin with an interactive walk-through of the CARE∞TRACK website, which serves as a hub for the initiative’s conceptual foundations, frameworks, datasets, and tools. Participants will explore its key features and learn how the platform can support research, policy development, and capacity building across regions. This hands-on introduction will provide the basis for understanding how CARE∞TRACK aligns with the objectives of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing and how it can be adapted to diverse African settings.

Participants will then be introduced to the initiative’s core objectives, which include: enhancing conceptual clarity around health and care unmet needs among older people in different global regions; establishing a common basis for defining and assessing unmet needs that can be applied cross-nationally; translating knowledge into context-specific policy recommendations; promoting participatory approaches by involving older people and informal carers in defining needs and indicators; and building the capacity of early and mid-career researchers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) through training in relevant theories and measurement techniques.

The second part of the workshop will focus on regional adaptation and agenda setting. Through structured small-group discussions, delegates will examine the CARE∞TRACK research agenda and assess the feasibility, relevance, and priority of various components. The goal of this session is to foster regional ownership and identify key research questions and methodological challenges unique to the African context.

In the final segment, selected participants and invited speakers will share ongoing or planned initiatives from across Africa aimed at improving the measurement and understanding of unmet care needs in older populations. These may include national surveys, regional data platforms, or community-based monitoring models. Sharing these examples will promote peer learning, highlight innovations, and encourage collaboration around shared goals.

This workshop is designed to be participatory, inclusive, and forward-looking. It will prioritise input from researchers, policymakers, civil society, and older persons’ advocates from across the African region. By the end of the session, participants will have contributed to a draft set of regional priorities and recommendations for adapting and implementing the CARE∞TRACK agenda. These outputs will help shape the future of the initiative and strengthen evidence-informed, equitable policy responses to the needs of older people in Africa.

Emeritus Professor Julie Byles AO BMed PhD FAAHMS, is an Honorary Professor at the University of Newcastle. Julie has held local, national, and international roles in the International Clinical Epidemiology Network, the International Gerontology and Geriatrics Association, the International Longevity Centres Global Alliance (currently co-President), and has worked with the World Health Organization in various advisory roles. Julie is a Fellow and Life Member of the Australian Association of Gerontology, and was National President from 2011-2013. She is also a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science.

 

As a clinical epidemiologist, Julie’s interests are in risk determination, health assessment, other health care evaluation, and measurement of health outcomes. As a Gerontologist her interests in ageing include the role of health and long term care services, preventive activities, and treatments in maintaining quality of life for older people. She is currently serving on the Lancet Commission for Long-term Care.

 

In her “retirement” Julie wanted to increase her engagement with the local community, so she took on the lead of the Hunter Ageing Alliance. She was named the City of Newcastle’s Senior Citizen of the Year for 2024.

 

Janine Charnley is a researcher specializing in global ageing, health and social policy, and unmet care needs, with a recent focus on the Asia-Pacific region. Her work examines the unmet health and social care needs of older people, aiming to inform policy and strengthen data collection frameworks for evidence-based decision-making.

 

Currently, Janine is completing her PhD, which focuses on advancing methodologies to ensure robust measurement and monitoring of unmet health and social care needs among older populations globally. She has collaborated with the WHO on ageing-related research, including projects funded by the WHO Centre for Health Development (Kobe Centre), Japan, and the South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO), New Delhi, as part of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing. Her work contributes to improving regional understanding of health and social care challenges.

 

Beyond research, Janine is actively engaged in knowledge translation and policy discussions. She has experience in social media strategy, event organization, and stakeholder engagement, ensuring that research findings are accessible to policymakers and practitioners. She is also involved in CARE∞TRACK, an international research consortium dedicated to the equitable measurement and monitoring of older people’s unmet health and long-term care needs.

 

Committed to advancing ageing research and policy, Janine continues to contribute to global discussions on ageing and the future of health and social care systems.