BRUNEI DARUSSALAM – The ASEAN Active Ageing Index (AAAI), an initiative led by the ASEAN Centre for Active Ageing and Support (ACAI), achieved a significant milestone during the ASEAN Research Symposium on Active Ageing held in Brunei Darussalam on 8 October 2025. The symposium served as a critical platform for regional experts to deliberate on the foundational framework and the six core domains that will underpin the comprehensive index, such as policy & statistics, income & livelihood security, health & quality of life, capacity & enabling environment, social capital, and digital opportunities.

The session, orchestrated by ACAI in collaboration with the Institute of Population and Social Security Research (IPSS) and the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) of Japan, was a focal point of the symposium. It was expertly moderated by Dr. Reiko Hayashi from IPSS and included insightful presentations from Dr. Tomoko Kodama from NIPH together with the ACAI’s Strategy Unit.

Experts from across ASEAN Member States and Japan engaged in a constructive and interactive discussion, sharing valuable perspectives on existing data gaps, pressing policy priorities, and the imperative need for adapting ageing indicators to diverse national contexts. This robust exchange underscored a strong, shared regional commitment to developing a standardised, evidence-based foundation to promote active and healthy ageing throughout the region.

Moving forward, ACAI, with sustained support from IPSS and NIPH, will concentrate on finalising the definitive indicator list. Concurrently, the consortium will develop an AAAI Guidebook to ensure the standardisation of indicator definitions and data sources. This preparatory phase will pave the way for Phase 2 of the initiative, which will involve the essential processes of testing, refinement, and subsequent implementation of the AAAI across the entire ASEAN region.

Photos: The Centre for Advanced Research (CARe), Universiti Brunei Darussalam