Ana Mosneaga and Michaella Vanore
Forced Migration Review (May 2016)
Based on joint research, this article by Ana Mosneaga (Research Associate, UNU-IAS) and Michaella Vanore (Researcher, Maastricht University/UNU-MERIT) notes that displaced elderly often become “invisible” due to a lack of age-disaggregated data, the article analyses the impacts of displacement on older people following disasters and conflicts. Drawing on examples of internal displacement from Japan and Georgia, two countries known for having populations with a high proportion of older people, the article considers implications for designing durable solutions for the displaced elderly. In Japan, it examines the displacement situation after the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster; while in Georgia, it draws on the cases of those displaced by the 1991–92 secessionist civil conflicts in Abkhazia and Ossetia and by the 2008 Georgian–Russian War.
The article concludes that the elderly are a fundamentally different population cohort when considering durable solutions, and presents a set of recommendations to be taken into account for designing an age-sensitive approach to addressing displacement. More broadly, given the need for age-sensitive approaches to durable solutions it is important to better profile displaced populations, to ensure that the designed solutions address the specific needs and vulnerabilities of different segments of the affected populations.
The article is available under open access for download.
—————————————————————
Harry Minas, Atsuro Tsutsumi, Takashi Izutsu, Kathryn Goetzke and Graham Thornicroft
International Journal of Mental Health Systems (March 2015)
Member of FGC advisory committee, Dr. Atsuro Tsutsumi (UNU-IIGH) and his co-authors have contributed an opinion piece to the Debate section of the International Journal of Mental Health Systems, focusing on the final negotiations leading up to the sustainable development declaration in September 2015. They focus in particular on the importance of including mental disorders within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) after they were left out of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). They conclude with three specific proposals for SDG #3 and its targets 3.4 and 3.8. The article is available under open access for download.
—————————————————————
Harry Minas, Takashi Izutsu, Atsuro Tsutsumi, Ritsuko Kakuma and Alan D Lopez
The Lancet (March 2015)
Member of FGC advisory committee, Dr. Atsuro Tsutsumi (UNU-IIGH) and his co-authors have contributed a commentary to the March 2015 issue of The Lancet. Their focus is on the unique position of the Asia-Pacific region to contribute to a mental health target under the proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among other things, they explain the significance of mental health issues being specifically mentioned in the Leaders’ Declaration and joint Ministerial Statement at the November 2014 meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting. The commentary is available under open access and can be read in full on The Lancet website.