The Award Ceremony for the 2021 Healthy Aging Prize for Asian Innovation
2022/1/4
On 4th January 2022, Ambassador Takahashi had an Award Ceremony for the 2021 Healthy Aging Prize for Asian Innovation. On the ceremony, Ambassador Takahashi made his congratulatory remarks as follows.
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Prof. Ir. Dr. Siti Anom Ahmad, Director of MyAgeing
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am delighted to welcome all of you to the award ceremony for the 2021 Healthy Aging Prize for Asian Innovation (HAPI) today.
HAPI is an award program established in 2020 with the aim of sharing knowledge and encouraging practical applications of innovative initiatives such as programmes, services, products and policies that will help solve the various challenges facing aging societies. This award program is a part of Japanese Government's Asia Health and Wellbeing Initiative (AHWIN) and co-managed by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) and the Japan Centre for International Exchange (JCIE).
A wide range of innovative initiatives from countries and regions in East and Southeast Asia was submitted to three categories. They are, "Technology & Innovation", "Community Based Initiatives" and "Self-Reliance". In 2021, Special Award for the COVID-19 Response was created to recognize innovative way to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. After a rigorous evaluation, 10 organizations were selected as winners.
On behalf of the Government of Japan, I am pleased and honored to announce that the Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (MyAgeing) has been awarded the 2021 Special Prize for COVID-19 Response for its contribution in helping the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
MyAgeing is the national institute responsible for research on ageing and older persons based at Universiti Putra Malaysia. The Institute is utilizing new technologies in the time of pandemic. Use of self-contained robots that monitor food-delivery and temperature-taking of elderly people reduced direct contact between caregivers and residents in elderly care facilities and medical institutions. Also, to prevent residents from being isolated, robots were used to provide information on infection control. The award was given in recognition of these activities.
Malaysia became an "ageing society" (with 7% of the population aged 65 and over) in 2020 and according to World Bank's estimates in the same year, Malaysia will be an "aged society" in 2044 (with 14% of the population aged 65 and over), and a "super-aged society" in 2056 (With 20% of the population aged 65 and over). The increase of ageing rate in Malaysia is very fast, even by global standards.
As you know, Japan is the world's fastest ageing country. We became the “ageing society” in 1970, “aged society” in 1994, and “super-aged society” in 2007. Now more than 28% of population is aged 65 and over in Japan.
Many aspects of Japan's experience and efforts in handling issues of ageing should be shared with other countries that will face the similar challenge in the future. And Malaysia is one of them. I hope that the Institute will generate more innovations and develop initiatives that will contribute to the welfare of the elderly in Malaysia, making use of Japan’ knowledge in this field.
This year we celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Malaysia, and the 40th anniversary of Look East Policy. I hope that our relation will become even stronger towards the future as we work to combat the challenges of an ageing society together.
In closing, I would like to congratulate MyAgeing once again for winning this award. I hope that you will continue to develop innovative ideas to enrich the lives of the elderly in Malaysia.
Thank you dan terima kasih.
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Prof. Ir. Dr. Siti Anom Ahmad, Director of MyAgeing
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am delighted to welcome all of you to the award ceremony for the 2021 Healthy Aging Prize for Asian Innovation (HAPI) today.
HAPI is an award program established in 2020 with the aim of sharing knowledge and encouraging practical applications of innovative initiatives such as programmes, services, products and policies that will help solve the various challenges facing aging societies. This award program is a part of Japanese Government's Asia Health and Wellbeing Initiative (AHWIN) and co-managed by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) and the Japan Centre for International Exchange (JCIE).
A wide range of innovative initiatives from countries and regions in East and Southeast Asia was submitted to three categories. They are, "Technology & Innovation", "Community Based Initiatives" and "Self-Reliance". In 2021, Special Award for the COVID-19 Response was created to recognize innovative way to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. After a rigorous evaluation, 10 organizations were selected as winners.
On behalf of the Government of Japan, I am pleased and honored to announce that the Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (MyAgeing) has been awarded the 2021 Special Prize for COVID-19 Response for its contribution in helping the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
MyAgeing is the national institute responsible for research on ageing and older persons based at Universiti Putra Malaysia. The Institute is utilizing new technologies in the time of pandemic. Use of self-contained robots that monitor food-delivery and temperature-taking of elderly people reduced direct contact between caregivers and residents in elderly care facilities and medical institutions. Also, to prevent residents from being isolated, robots were used to provide information on infection control. The award was given in recognition of these activities.
Malaysia became an "ageing society" (with 7% of the population aged 65 and over) in 2020 and according to World Bank's estimates in the same year, Malaysia will be an "aged society" in 2044 (with 14% of the population aged 65 and over), and a "super-aged society" in 2056 (With 20% of the population aged 65 and over). The increase of ageing rate in Malaysia is very fast, even by global standards.
As you know, Japan is the world's fastest ageing country. We became the “ageing society” in 1970, “aged society” in 1994, and “super-aged society” in 2007. Now more than 28% of population is aged 65 and over in Japan.
Many aspects of Japan's experience and efforts in handling issues of ageing should be shared with other countries that will face the similar challenge in the future. And Malaysia is one of them. I hope that the Institute will generate more innovations and develop initiatives that will contribute to the welfare of the elderly in Malaysia, making use of Japan’ knowledge in this field.
This year we celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Malaysia, and the 40th anniversary of Look East Policy. I hope that our relation will become even stronger towards the future as we work to combat the challenges of an ageing society together.
In closing, I would like to congratulate MyAgeing once again for winning this award. I hope that you will continue to develop innovative ideas to enrich the lives of the elderly in Malaysia.
Thank you dan terima kasih.