Gerociencia 2026: Towards Healthy and Smart Aging
The Sancti Spíritus University Chair for Older Adults hosted the “Gerociencia 2026” event as part of the activities marking the International Day of Older Persons, which takes place on October 1st.
The gathering, attended by provincial authorities and representatives from political and mass organizations, took on a national scope for the first time due to its significance.
Dignora Montano Perdomo, president of the Chair in the Sancti Spíritus region, noted, “There are six projects from outside the province: one from Santiago, two from Matanzas, and three from Pinar del Río. We were struck by the fact that many of the projects focus on geriatrics. The Medical Sciences sector really stands out at this event, as it submitted the highest number of entries.
“However, rather than simply being pleased, we are concerned, because our goal is to foster a gerontological perspective toward older adults—one that goes beyond a purely geriatric view. We often equate ‘older adult’ with illness or frailty—with being an ailing senior. Yet that is not the case; projects presented at this event demonstrate otherwise. They show that older adults can be active, cultured individuals who take joy in aging—after all, if we didn’t find joy in it, we wouldn’t have reached this stage of life.
“Aging is more than just a challenge; it is an opportunity life gives us. But the goal is to age fully and well; that is the purpose of this research—to ensure that aging is active, cultured, and healthy.”
Within the scientific track, a presentation by José Neira Milián—Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Sancti Spíritus—stood out. “At that 18th Sociology Congress in Havana, the Cuban delegation—comprising primarily sociologists, demographers, and economists—issued the first warning regarding the implications of the country’s aging population over the coming 20 to 30 years, a challenge for which the nation lacked the necessary human, infrastructural, and technological resources.
“The demographic data indicated that employment and remuneration would be among the key priorities to address in order to ensure essential mechanisms for social stability.”
