Qatar expands National Healthy Ageing Initiative, opens ICOPE Clinic in Al Mashaf Health Center

Doha, Qatar: Qatar s efforts to promote healthy ageing have taken another important step forward with the opening of a new Integrated Care for Older P...

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s efforts to promote healthy ageing have taken another important step forward with the opening of a new Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) clinic at Al Mashaf Health Center. The new clinic is the latest addition to a growing network of specialized services supporting older adults across the country.

The ICOPE program operates under the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Healthy Ageing and Dementia at Rumailah Hospital, with the clinics run in partnership with Primary Health Care Corporation. Through this initiative, Qatar continues to advance person-centered, integrated care that promotes healthy, active, and independent ageing.

Qatar remains the first country in the Middle East to implement the WHO ICOPE framework, a model that supports early detection of health concerns, preserves functional ability, and enhances the quality of life for older people. The program aligns with both the WHO Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030) and Qatar’s National Health Strategy 2024–2030, reinforcing the nation’s leadership in preventive and community-based healthcare.

Since launching its first clinic in April 2023 at Al Wajbah Health Center, the ICOPE program has steadily expanded with clinics opening in health centers at Rawdat Al Khail, Leabaib, Qatar University, and most recently Al Mashaf, making comprehensive healthy ageing services more accessible to local communities.

The addition of Al Mashaf reflects the program’s ongoing mission to bring proactive, multidisciplinary care closer to where older people live, ensuring timely support and consistent follow-up within the community.