The world population is aging, and Chile is not an exception. Currently, approximately 18% of the population is aged 60 years or more and, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), this number is expected to double by 2050. Likewise, the World Health Organization (WHO), in the context of population aging, has declared the decade 2021-2030 as the “Decade of Healthy Aging”, in which all countries of the world are called to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of older people.

The Consortium of State Universities in Chile (CUECH) is no stranger to this situation and, in a spirit of inter-university collaboration, with the aim to improving the conditions of this population segment, it proposed the creation of an interdisciplinary academic network on healthy aging. Thus, after numerous negotiations, the Ministry of Education approved, in May 2022, the creation of the Inter-University Center for Healthy Aging (CIES).

The CIES general objective is to contribute to the promotion of a healthy aging, through the development of basic and applied inter- and transdisciplinary knowledge, the advanced training of human capital, the training and information in prevention and rehabilitation in the different stages of the life course. All of the above, in collaboration with national and international institutions, to propose recommendations for public policies in all government agencies to improve the quality of life of older people.

The CIES is composed of more than 95 academics from the 19 state universities of our country, who are assigned to one of the following thematic lines: a) Age-associated risk factors of chronic diseases, b) Neurosciences and neurodegenerative diseases, c) Odontogeriatrics, d) Food and nutrition for older people, e) Functional capacity and physical condition in aging, and f) Quality of life and social determinants of aging. In addition to the Chilean state universities, three external institutions participate in CIES: The National Institute of Geriatrics of Mexico, the National Institute of Geriatrics of Chile and the National Service for Older People (SENAMA) of Chile.

To date, some of the advances of the CIES include its regulations, development plan, inter-university research projects with internal and external funding, publications with affiliation to two or more state universities, organization of various scientific events, development of a doctoral consortium program in Healthy Aging (in advanced stages), creation of a CIES Observatory of Healthy Aging, various workshops with the older people, training for health personnel and caregivers, multiple meetings with ministerial, regional, municipal authorities, and others. In addition, the CIES has a website (www.cies.uestatales.cl), newsletters and publications for dissemination through the media and social networks. Older people are highly involved in the work of the Center, especially in the area of community outreach, with a bidirectional character, along with the inclusion in the generation and subsequent implementation of the different activities of representatives and/or leaders of organizations of older people.

These advances demonstrate the capacity of the CIES to conduct collaborative work among the Chilean state universities. This is reflected in the task accomplished in the above-mentioned 6 lines of work, which also give rise to strategic proposals related to research, community outreach, collaborative networks, and advanced training of human capital, with emphasis on providing evidence-based inputs for decision-makers regarding aging and the improvement of the quality of life of older adults in Chile

Author notes

*Correspondence to: Jorge Gamonal A. | Address: Avda. Arzobispo 0675, Providencia, Santiago, Chile | E-mail: jgamonal@odontologia.uchile.cl