Dara McGuigan is a Regional Programme Manager with Age Friendly Ireland.  With over 30 years experience in local government in Ireland, working in a number of local authorities, and across a broad range of functions, Dara currently supports eight Age Friendly programmes across the West Region.  In addition, he has responsibility for the International Relations portfolio with Age Friendly Ireland, and represents AFI on the World Health Organisation Global Network of Age Friendly Cities and Communities.

Assoc Prof. Low Lian Leng is currently Chairman, Population Health and Integrated Care in Singapore General Hospital, Chairman of the SingHealth Population Health Research Executive Committee, and Director, SingHealth Centre for Population Health Research and Implementation. He is also faculty at Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore University of Technology and Design, and Singapore University of Social Sciences.

A/P. Low has spearheaded innovative models of care such as community nursing, hospital at home and integrated senior health and wellness hubs. He also has a deep interest in health services research, especially in the areas of population health, innovative integrated care delivery models, value-based care and data analytics. A/P. Low is also the principal investigator of the Community Ageing in Place Ecosystem project funded by the Ministry of Health Singapore, that integrates the physical built environment, technology and health-social care integration for ageing well in Singapore.  He is the POC for Healthier East @ Singapore, a member of the WHO Global Network for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities.

Ana Ramovs is the Director of the Anton Trstenjak Institute of Gerontology and Intergenerational Relations, the Slovenian national gerontological institute. A medical doctor specialized in emergency medicine, she also works at the Community Health Centre Ljubljana. At the Institute, she is active as a researcher and developer in the fields of long-term care, healthy and quality ageing, preventive medicine, and ethics. She coordinates the Slovenian Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities (AFCC), helps lead the Slovenian Association of Informal Carers, represents the Institute in international networks, and manages international projects. She extensive experience in community engagement and group work, as well as in developing and delivering trainings on ageing and long-term care. She published the Frontiers methodological article Informal Carers Training: In-Group Social Learning as an Effective Method for Quality Care Empowerment. She is co-author of the Towards Alpine Age-Friendly Environment toolkit, author of the Healthy Old Age manual, co-author of the Falls Prevention manual and other publications.

Prof Elena Moore, Dept. of Sociology, UCT

I am a Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology at the University of Cape Town. I obtained a Wellcome Career Award, 2023-2028 to develop and grow a research programme in Family Caregiving of Older Persons in Southern Africa (www.familycaregiving.org.za). This is the first multi-sited qualitative longitudinal study on family caregiving in Africa. We run an extensive policy engagement programme which was recently awarded an IDRC Scaling Care Innovations in Africa Award 2024-2027 for a linked project on: ‘Transforming Elder Care through Collective Policy Action in Southern Africa (2024-2027). I am a recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award 2021, as well as the Vice Chancellor Social Responsiveness Award, University of Cape Town, 2023.

Dr. Natacha Berkowitz (MBChB, MPH, MMed Public Health Medicine) is a Public Health Clinician and Epidemiologist with the City of Cape Town’s Health Department. She leads the City’s Urban Health Program, embedded within the Integrated Development Plan, which seeks to create healthier urban spaces through evidence-driven design, governance, and service delivery. Her work focuses on evaluating how routine municipal services influence population health outcomes and developing innovative approaches to integrate health into broader city planning and management. She has been awarded a World Health Organization residency to advance the program’s implementation and has been recognised with both Mayoral and apolitical awards for her leadership during Cape Town’s Covid-19 response.

In addition to her clinical and academic background, Dr. Berkowitz serves as the City’s technical lead in its partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Partnership for Healthy Cities, where she represents Cape Town on global platforms and contributes to cross-city learning on non-communicable diseases, injury prevention, and health equity. Her professional interests lie in strengthening urban governance, embedding monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and advancing multisectoral strategies to address the social determinants of health. She is passionate about building inclusive, resilient, and healthier cities, with a particular focus on Africa’s rapidly urbanising context.

Ms. Gugulethu Dhlamini (maNdlangamandla) was born and grew up in Kwa-Zulu Natal (Pongola). She studied BA Social Work at the University of Pretoria (1997-2000). She started working in 2001, at Springs and Kwa-Thema Child Welfare Society as a junior Social Worker. In 2002, she enrolled for the Post Graduate Diploma in Developmental Social Welfare at the University of Witwatersrand. In 2003 she joined the Gauteng Department of Social Development as a Statutory Social Worker. In March 2006, she resigned from the Gauteng Department of Social Department, to work for the National Lotteries Board Distribution Trust Fund as a Grant Officer. In December 2006, she joined the Gauteng Department of Social Development as a Social Work Supervisor in the NPO Development, funding, and Monitoring Unit. In March 2016, she joined the Gauteng office of the Premier as the Deputy Director responsible for coordinating, monitoring, and promoting Older Persons rights. To advance her skills and acquire in-depth knowledge of public administration, policy analysis, and management techniques, in 2023 Gugulethu registered for the Master of Public Management with the Regenesys Business School, has successfully completed the programme and graduated in May 2025.

Zain Bulbulia is a seasoned public sector leader with over 18 years of experience driving institutional transformation across government, civic, and corporate spheres. Currently serving as Director at the Office of the Premier in Gauteng, he brings deep expertise in disability rights, the rights of older persons, public sector reform, and corporate transformation. His career reflects a steadfast commitment to inclusive development and social justice at both local and international levels.

Zain’s leadership trajectory includes key national roles, such as Director at the Office on the Status of Disabled Persons in The Presidency (2007–2009), where he led South Africa’s delegation in signing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). He subsequently served as Advisor to the UN Special Rapporteur on Disability (2008–2009), and later held senior roles at the Department of Women, Children, and Persons with Disabilities, and at the Office of the Premier in Gauteng, with a focus on marginalized groups including military veterans. In 2023, he was appointed Acting Chief Director of Transformation, overseeing strategic change initiatives across the province.

Zain is widely respected for his strategic insight, leadership versatility, and diplomatic skill. His work is guided by a strong ethical foundation, high energy, and an unwavering focus on achieving impactful, sustainable outcomes. He is adept at building strategic alliances, coalitions, and collaborative networks across sectors.

Internationally, Zain has represented South Africa on numerous global platforms, including the United Nations in New York, and engagements in Japan, Turkey, Bangkok, and across Africa. His thought leadership extends to numerous publications, where he has written on topics such as ICT and Disability, HIV/AIDS and Disability, and policy frameworks for the inclusion of persons with disabilities—contributing to platforms such as Rolling Inspiration, the Department of Public Works newsletter, and GITOC Magazine.

Zain’s work continues to shape progressive policy and transformation agendas, making him a key figure in advancing inclusive governance and human rights.