Small Homes, Big Impact: CFI Conference Aligns with WHO's Global Call for Social Connection
ST. LOUIS, Mo., July 31, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — As global recognition of loneliness intensifies following a landmark World Health Organization (WHO) report identifying loneliness as a public health crisis, the Center for Innovation (CFI) is convening leaders from across the country to showcase bold, evidence-based solutions. At the 2025 CFI Conference, held August 11-14 in St. Louis, senior care innovators will explore how small home models, including the nationally recognized Green House Project, are working to reduce social disconnection through intentional design and urban innovation.
The conference will explore how innovative, human-centered housing models, such as small homes, cohousing clusters, and shared neighborhood amenities, can help rebuild the social fabric in cities and suburbs alike. EverTrue Laclede Groves, in Webster Groves, MO, is an example of a traditional long-term care environment that has been converted into individual households and apartments, reimagining what it means to live and age with dignity, connection, and purpose.
'This report is a clarion call, but it's not news to those of us in the small home movement,' said Susan Ryan, CEO of CFI. 'For nearly two decades, we've seen how intentional environments—homes designed to foster community and purpose—can transform lives. The WHO findings validate what we've long known: connection is a cornerstone of health.'
According to the WHO report, loneliness and social isolation is on the rise, with one in six people globally experiencing loneliness, which contributes to over 871,000 premature deaths annually and significantly impacts both mental and physical well-being.
Dr. Kelly Tremblay, who is an advisor to the WHO and to CFI, says, 'The WHO found strong social connections can lead to better health and longer life, and that's what the small home movement is showing as well,' said Tremblay. 'I'm heartened to see the serious attention being given to the health impacts of loneliness and isolation and to be part of meaningful, local efforts to foster real connection.'
Tim Dolan, who started Dolan Memory Care Homes over 30 years ago, explained, 'People thrive in homes, not institutions. That's why every one of our 17 memory care homes is intentionally designed to feel like a real home—with open kitchens, shared meals at a single table, and safe access to the outdoors. When people feel at ease, they connect more easily, and that sense of connection is essential to their well-being.'
About Center for Innovation
The Center for Innovation (CFI) is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming aging services through person-directed practices, community connection, and culture change. As the parent organization of The Green House Project and Pioneer Network, CFI brings together two leading voices in eldercare reform to create empowering, person-directed services and support for all older adults. For more information, visit: https://cfi2025.org/.
Learn more about the WHO's report on social connection here: https://www.who.int/news/item/30-06-2025-social-connection-linked-to-improved-heath-and-reduced-risk-of-early-death
MULTIMEDIA:
Photo link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/25-0731-s2p-2025cfi-300dpi.jpg
Photo caption: Small home designs foster joy, connection, and purpose – key themes of the 2025 CFI Conference on combating senior loneliness.
NEWS SOURCE: Center for Innovation
###
MEDIA ONLY CONTACT:
(not for publication online or in print)
Meg LaPorte
Center for Innovation
[email protected]
-and/or-
Shonne Fegan-Ehrhardt
3rd3rd Marketing
[email protected]
###
Keywords: General Editorial, public health crisis, the Center for Innovation, CFI, World Health Organization, evidence-based solutions, Green House Project, reduce social disconnection, EverTrue Laclede Groves, ST. LOUIS, Mo.
This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Center for Innovation) who is solely responsibile for its accuracy, by Send2Press® Newswire. Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Story ID: S2P128114 APNF0325A
To view the original version, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/small-homes-big-impact-cfi-conference-aligns-with-whos-global-call-for-social-connection/
© 2025 Send2Press® Newswire, a press release distribution service, Calif., USA.
RIGHTS GRANTED FOR REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY ANY LEGITIMATE MEDIA OUTLET - SUCH AS NEWSPAPER, BROADCAST OR TRADE PERIODICAL. MAY NOT BE USED ON ANY NON-MEDIA WEBSITE PROMOTING PR OR MARKETING SERVICES OR CONTENT DEVELOPMENT.
Disclaimer: This press release content was not created by nor issued by the Associated Press (AP). Content below is unrelated to this news story.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Wire
7 hours ago
- Business Wire
Polio Vaccination Campaign Planned in Afghanistan with PharmaJet
GOLDEN, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Please replace the release dated August 19, 2025 with the following corrected version due to multiple revisions - removing mentions of WHO and UNICEF and all operational details which are subject to national authorities and partners agreement. The updated release reads: Polio Vaccination Campaign Planned in Afghanistan with PharmaJet ® Tropis ® ID Delivery System PharmaJet has been awarded a tender to support the first large-scale implementation of intradermal (ID) polio immunization in Afghanistan. PharmaJet's award builds on the successful implementation of Tropis for ID delivery in polio vaccination campaigns in Pakistan, Nigeria, and Somalia. The use of Tropis ID in polio vaccination campaigns has improved vaccine coverage, decreased immunization program costs, and increased acceptability. PharmaJet ®, a company that strives to improve the performance and outcomes of injectables with its enabling needle-free injection technology, today announced that the WHO prequalified Tropis ID delivery system will be used to support a polio eradication campaign in Afghanistan. Poliovirus has been eliminated in most parts of the world due to widespread vaccination campaigns, but it continues to circulate in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2024, wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) transmission rose significantly in Afghanistan. The use of Tropis ID enables site-to-site immunization, a strategy where vaccination services are offered at multiple, convenient locations. Including Tropis ID fractional doses of inactivated polio vaccine (fIPV) in this immunization program supports Afghanistan's polio eradication goals to eliminate persistent virus lineages, prevent new WPV1 cases, and prevent local transmission. 'We are pleased to be supporting Afghanistan in their continued efforts to eradicate polio,' said Paul LaBarre, Senior Vice President Global Business Development, PharmaJet. 'We aim to achieve high impact in the fight against poliovirus, including increased coverage, decreased costs, and high acceptability 1 previously seen with Tropis ID delivered fIPV in Pakistan, 1 Somalia, 2 and Nigeria 3.' Refer to Instructions for Use to ensure safe injections and to review risks. *NOTE: We regret that the content of this news release on August 19, 2025 was originally published without UNICEF/WHO consent. Operational details remain subject to national authorities and partners agreement. 1 Daly, C et al, Needle-free injectors for mass administration of fractional dose inactivated poliovirus vaccine (fIPV) in Karachi, Pakistan: A survey of caregiver and vaccinator acceptability, Vaccine, Volume 38 Issue 8, 18 February, 2020, Pages 1893-1898 2 Nouh, K et al, Use of a fractional dose of inactivated polio vaccine (fIPV) to increase IPV coverage among children under 5 years of age in Somalia, Springer Nature Volume 2 article number 16 (2024) 3 Biya, O et al, Notes from the Field: House-to-House Campaign Administration of Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine — Sokoto State, Nigeria, November 2022, CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report, November 24, 2023 / 72(47);1290–1291 About PharmaJet The PharmaJet mission is to improve the performance and outcomes of injectables with our enabling technology that better activates the immune system. We are committed to helping our partners realize their research and commercialization goals while making an impact on public health. PharmaJet Precision Delivery Systems™ can improve vaccine effectiveness, allow for a preferred patient and caregiver experience, and offer a proven path to commercialization. They are also safe, fast, and easy-to-use. The Stratis ® System has U.S. FDA 510(k) marketing clearance, CE Mark, and WHO PQS certification to deliver medications and vaccines either intramuscularly or subcutaneously. The Tropis ® System has CE Mark and WHO PQS certification for intradermal injections. They are both commercially available for global immunization programs. For more information or if you are interested in partnering with PharmaJet visit or contact PharmaJet here. Follow us on LinkedIn.
Business Wire
7 hours ago
- Business Wire
CORRECTING and REPLACING Polio Vaccination Campaign Planned in Afghanistan with PharmaJet
GOLDEN, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Please replace the release dated Aug. 19, 2025 with the following corrected version due to multiple revisions - removing mentions of WHO and UNICEF and all operational details which are subject to national authorities and partners agreement. The updated release reads: Polio Vaccination Campaign Planned in Afghanistan with PharmaJet ® Tropis ® ID Delivery System PharmaJet has been awarded a tender to support the first large-scale implementation of intradermal (ID) polio immunization in Afghanistan. PharmaJet's award builds on the successful implementation of Tropis for ID delivery in polio vaccination campaigns in Pakistan, Nigeria, and Somalia. The use of Tropis ID in polio vaccination campaigns has improved vaccine coverage, decreased immunization program costs, and increased acceptability. PharmaJet ®, a company that strives to improve the performance and outcomes of injectables with its enabling needle-free injection technology, today announced that the WHO prequalified Tropis ID delivery system will be used to support a polio eradication campaign in Afghanistan. Poliovirus has been eliminated in most parts of the world due to widespread vaccination campaigns, but it continues to circulate in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2024, wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) transmission rose significantly in Afghanistan. The use of Tropis ID enables site-to-site immunization, a strategy where vaccination services are offered at multiple, convenient locations. Including Tropis ID fractional doses of inactivated polio vaccine (fIPV) in this immunization program supports Afghanistan's polio eradication goals to eliminate persistent virus lineages, prevent new WPV1 cases, and prevent local transmission. 'We are pleased to be supporting Afghanistan in their continued efforts to eradicate polio,' said Paul LaBarre, Senior Vice President Global Business Development, PharmaJet. 'We aim to achieve high impact in the fight against poliovirus, including increased coverage, decreased costs, and high acceptability 1 previously seen with Tropis ID delivered fIPV in Pakistan, 1 Somalia, 2 and Nigeria 3.' Refer to Instructions for Use to ensure safe injections and to review risks. About PharmaJet The PharmaJet mission is to improve the performance and outcomes of injectables with our enabling technology that better activates the immune system. We are committed to helping our partners realize their research and commercialization goals while making an impact on public health. PharmaJet Precision Delivery Systems™ can improve vaccine effectiveness, allow for a preferred patient and caregiver experience, and offer a proven path to commercialization. They are also safe, fast, and easy-to-use. The Stratis ® System has U.S. FDA 510(k) marketing clearance, CE Mark, and WHO PQS certification to deliver medications and vaccines either intramuscularly or subcutaneously. The Tropis ® System has CE Mark and WHO PQS certification for intradermal injections. They are both commercially available for global immunization programs. For more information or if you are interested in partnering with PharmaJet visit or contact PharmaJet here. Follow us on LinkedIn.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
New malaria drug for newborn babies offers hope to parents, health workers in Uganda
Alice Nekesa did not know she was infected with malaria-causing parasites until it was too late. She was in the fourth month of pregnancy last year when she started bleeding, a miscarriage later attributed to untreated malaria in her. The Ugandan farmer said recently that she regretted the loss of what would have been her second child 'because I didn't discover malaria and treat it early'. Variations of such cases are commonly reported by Ugandan health workers who witness stillbirths or feverish babies that die within days from undiagnosed malaria. The deaths are part of a wider death toll tied to the mosquito-borne disease, the deadliest across Africa, but one easily treated in adults who seek timely medical care. Until recently, a major gap in malaria treatment was how to care for newborns and infants infected with malaria who weren't strong enough to receive regular medication. That changed last month when Swiss medical regulators approved medicine from the Basel-based pharmaceutical company Novartis for babies weighing between 2 and 5 kilograms (about two to five kilograms). Swissmedic said the treatment, a sweet-tasting tablet that dissolves into a syrup when dropped into liquids like breast milk, was approved in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) under a fast-track authorisation process to help developing countries access much-needed treatment. Africa's 1.5 billion people accounted for 95 per cent of an estimated 597,000 malaria deaths worldwide in 2023, according to the WHO. More than three-quarters of those deaths were among children. Related Malaria cases surged to 263 million last year amid stalled progress to stop mosquito-borne illness In Uganda, an east African country of 45 million people, there were 12.6 million malaria cases and nearly 16,000 deaths in 2023. Many were children younger than five and pregnant women, the WHO said. Nigeria, Congo, and Uganda – in that order – are the African countries most burdened by malaria, a parasitic disease transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes that thrive and breed in stagnant water. The drug approved by Swiss authorities, known as Coartem Baby in some countries and Riamet Baby in others, is a combination of two antimalarials. It is a lower dose version of a tablet previously approved for other age groups, including for older children. Before Coartem Baby, antimalarial drugs designed for older children were administered to small infants with careful adjustments to avoid overdose or toxicity. Ugandan authorities, who have been working to update clinical guidelines for treating malaria, say the new drug will be rolled out as soon as possible. It is not yet available in public hospitals. How the medicine could change malaria treatment The development of Coartem Baby has given hope to many, with local health workers and others saying the medicine will save the lives of many infants. Ronald Serufusa, the top malaria official for the district of Wakiso, which shares a border with the Ugandan capital of Kampala, said he believes Coartem Baby will be available 'very, very soon' and that one priority is sensitising the people adhering to treatment. Some private pharmacies already have access to Coartem Baby, 'flavored with orange or mango' to make it palatable for infants, he said. Related Scientists discover drug that could make human blood deadly to mosquitos in fight against malaria During the so-called malaria season, which coincides with rainy periods twice a year, long lines of sick patients grow outside government-run health centres across Uganda. Many are often women with babies strapped to their backs. Health workers now are trained to understand that 'malaria can be implicated among newborns,' even when other dangerous conditions like sepsis are present, Serufusa said. 'If they don't expand their investigations to also suspect malaria, then it goes unnoticed,' he said, speaking of health workers treating babies. The Malaria Consortium, a global nonprofit based in London, in a statement described the approval of Coartem Baby as 'a major leap forward for saving the lives of young children in countries affected by malaria'. In addition to Uganda, the drug will be rolled out in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania, the group said. Related West Nile virus, chikungunya, dengue: Tracking mosquito-borne illnesses across Europe Jane Nabakooza, a pediatrician with Uganda's malaria control programme, said she expects the government will make Coartem Baby available to patients free of charge, even after losing funding when the United States shrank its foreign aid programme earlier this year. Some malaria funding from outside sources, including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, remains available for programmes such as indoor spraying to kill mosquitoes that spread the malaria-causing parasite. Because of funding shortages, 'we are focusing on those that are actually prone to severe forms of malaria and malaria deaths, and these are children under five years,' Nabakooza said.
