- World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, is an annual initiative which was launched on June 15, 2006.
- It is a joint initiative by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization.
- The UN International Plan of Action described elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue.
- Globally, we have an aging population, with the number of older people in the world expected to be 1.4 billion by 2030.
- WEAAD supports the United Nations International Plan of Action acknowledging the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue.
- The United Nations general assembly officially recognized the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day in December 2011.
- This came after receiving a request by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA). The United Nations declared this day by passing a resolution 66/127.
- Elder abuse is a problem that exists in both developing and developed countries yet is typically underreported globally.
- Prevalence rates or estimates exist only in selected developed countries, ranging from 1% to 10%. As such, it demands a multifaceted global response, one which focuses on protecting the rights of older persons.
