New conference seeks to explore research, strategies and education that will close the life expectancy gap on the African continent.
The International Longevity Summit is a conference set to leverage the dynamics of diversity, inclusivity and innovation to foster a revolution in African longevity – afrolongevity – and biotech.
Running over two full days, the ILS is set to provide relevant insights into the longevity space, education, investment opportunities and excellent networking opportunities all in the wonderful setting of the Cradle of Humankind Heritage Site in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Supported by South African Tourism, South African Airways, Longevity Escape Velocity Foundation, SENS Research Foundation and GlycanAge, among others, the conference will bring together the world’s top longevity KOLs, institutional and private investors, family offices and funds. Confirmed speakers include Aubrey de Grey, Andrea Maier, Evelyne Yehudit Bishof, Natasha Vita-More, Jyothi Devakumar, Alexandra Bause and José Luis Cordeiro.
Longevity.Technology: Africa is often referred to as the Cradle of Humankind, and now with an inspirational summit seeking to explore strategies for accelerated implementation of longevity science and integration of innovation in clinical care pathways and healthcare ecosystems to shape our further evolution, perhaps it might also soon be the Cradle of Longevity. ILS has a bigger vision than just life extension; it is seeking to create momentum to not only improve the quality of life in Africa, but to demonstrate on an international stage just what the world can learn from Africa and to prioritize longevity as a fundamental element of human development.
By focusing on Convergence, Investment, Innovation and Translation, the conference aims to refine and augment conventional approaches in scientific discovery, research and development, as well as illustrate and facilitate unconventional approaches for exponential advancement and discovery. We sat down with Ósìnàkáchì Ákùmà Kálù, Founder of Transdisciplinary Agora for Future Discussions ( TAFFDs ), the body behind the conference, and speaker at ILS to find out more.
Ósìnàkáchì Ákùmà Kálù on…
Diversity and inclusion
A key goal for the event is “Diversity and Inclusion” – we need to really bring together the disciplines, institutions and organisations that look into healthcare to make sure we really drive that message home.
Education, education, education
We are partnering with Longevity Education Hub, home of the Longevity Medicine courses, and trying to see how we can encourage medical tourism through education. Medical tourism is an emerging idea in the continent, and every continent is trying to grab it to see how their country becomes the next destination for longevity research. When you have the government behind you in your program and what you are doing, that box is already ticked. We are really grateful to South Africa’s support, and it’s a vote of confidence in what we are doing.
The wider remit
We also have plans for content on precision medicine and longevity for pets and endangered animals; we are working hard on this aspect, and we already have people indicating their interest to present on this at ILS.
