On November 29th Insper hosted an event with experts from different areas of knowledge to discuss Brazil’s aging journey. The event marked the launch of Centro de Ciência para a Longevidade (Science Center for Longevity), an initiative of Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz in partnership with Insper’s Innovation Hub and of InovaHC, the Technological Innovation Center of Hospital das Clínicas of FMUSP (Hospital of the University of São Paulo Medical School).

 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Brazil is expected to have a population of over 15 million elderly people by 2050. Therefore, it is increasingly important to think about the growth of the so-called silver economy, a sector that seeks to meet the needs of people over 60. At the event, experts in health, demography and economics analyzed the challenges of this scenario and how the Center can contribute to this journey.

 

The opening featured speeches by Marcelo Orticelli, vice-president of Insper, José Marcelo Amatuzzi de Oliveira, CEO of Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz and Marco Bego, Chief Innovation Officer of InovaHC. The population aging trend and the specificities in the care of the elderly were addressed, highlighting the importance of partnerships to look at this change as an opportunity to consider health care beyond medicine, also taking into account economic and social factors.

 

The presentations highlighted the importance of person-centered care, with early diagnosis, prevention and remote monitoring, and hospitals thought of as places for highly complex care, but with a good cost-benefit ratio for the population.

 

The event also featured a panel by professor Cássio Maldonado Turra, economist, and PhD in Demography, who shared data on the scenario of the Brazilian population, which is in the process of aging driven by the drop in the fertility rate and increased longevity, among other factors.

 

The professor spoke about how the increase in longevity started in 1940s and the increase in control over high mortality contributed to the development of political, economic, and social systems, with advances in urbanization and technology, industrialization, investments in education, among others.

 

Longevity and health

 

The presentation was followed by a panel with the participation of Linamara Rizzo Battistella, professor of Physical Medicine at the University of São Paulo Medical School; Álvaro Avezum, director of the International Research Center at Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz; Paulo Furquim, full professor at Insper and coordinator of the Center for Regulation and Democracy (CRD) and Paulo Amaral, professor at Insper, Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics from the University of Queensland, in Australia, and one of those in charge of the Consortium.

 

Amaral asked a series of questions to the other participants, generating a debate around the challenges that increasing longevity brings to society, both for the economy and for healthcare, and the opportunities that may arise in a scenario like this. Linamara explained that health is a biopsychosocial issue, that is, it depends on housing conditions, health, education, in addition to access to medical treatment and the sense of belonging. All that determines how people will age.

 

After that, Álvaro Avezum stated that he seeks to be optimistic regarding the topic but based on research and data. According to him, it is possible to increase longevity by avoiding ten risk factors: smoking, high blood pressure, low schooling, abdominal obesity, diabetes, reduced muscle strength, sedentary lifestyle, alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet and pollution. Finally, Paulo Furquim spoke about the Center’s objectives, the importance of research for the area and how increased longevity poses challenges in allocating resources for research aimed at the elderly.

 

Innovation to generate solutions

 

The chat was followed by the presentation of the Senior Techs Acceleration Program. Aimed at startups that operate with a focus on the 60+ population, the initiative aims to support these organizations in reviewing their processes and business model through mentoring, thus contributing to generate new solutions for the elderly.

 

Mentoring will be conducted by a multidisciplinary team made up of professionals from Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz, Insper and InovaHC in the areas of medicine, engineering, economics, advertising and digital marketing and analysis and studies for companies.

 

The agenda ended with the presentation of pitches of senior techs and a longevity fair, during which participants were able to exchange experiences and engage in strategic networking to build solutions.