Healthy Ageing
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This page was initiated with support from UNFPA/ASRO and received additional support from Aging in Eastern Mediterranean countries (EMage). |
Over the next 30 years, the population in the Arab countries is expected to experience a rapid aging process. According to the United Nations projections, while currently only 7 percent of the population in the Arab region are aged 60 years and older, within the next 30 years, this segment of the population with increase with an annual growth rate of 3.8 percent, a growth rate that exceeds twice the growth rate of the total population (1.4 percent).
This growth rate is projected to increase the share of the older persons in the total population of the Arab countries to 15 percent with 101 million persons in this age group. This rapid growth of the older population is also taking place alongside significant social and economic changes as well as high levels of political challenges in our societies which put substantial pressure on both the societies as well as the families to fully and effectively cater to the needs of their older persons. Furthermore, there is no doubt that Covid-19 has particularly resulted in the harshest impact on different dimensions of older persons’ wellbeing and magnified the level of inequalities among the different social groups of the older population.
The current page aims to support efforts to achieve equitable healthy aging in Arab countries. According to World Health Organization healthy aging is defined as “the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age.” This section focuses on strategies and policies that address inequities in healthy aging in the Arab region.
On this page:
Healthy Ageing Reports and Actions
Regional Strategies, Policies, Reports and Actions
Healthy Ageing Regional Initiative
Sharing Knowledge and Discussions
This section sheds some light on innovative regional initiatives that support research, practices, and policies with the aim of securing the welfare and full engagement of older persons.
In support of knowledge sharing, this section offers a professional space for our members to share their scientific contributions (published papers, working papers, presentations, and blogs) that relate to healthy aging. After a scientific review by our editorial members, the shared contribution will be announced and posted on the platform.
To share your contribution or any evidence or knowledge on the identified issues, send an email.
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This section cites some of the most recent relevant published papers at the international (INT) or regional (REG) level that addresses healthy aging with a particular focus on issues related to health equity and social determinants of health.
- Promoting Healthy Aging During COVID-19, Batsis, J., Daniel, K., Eckstrom, E., Goldlist, K.,Kusz, H., Lane, D., Loewenthal, J., Coll, P., &Friedman, S. 2021
- Achieving healthy ageing through theperspective of sense of coherence amongsenior-only households: a qualitative study, Seah, B., Espnes, G., Ang, E., Lim, J.,Kowitlawakul, Y., & Wang, W. 2021
- Opinion paper: Exercise for healthy aging, Erkkola, R., Vasankari, T., & Erkkola, R. 2021
- Healthy ageing: we are all different, Cheater, S. 2021
- The World Health Organization (WHO) approach to healthy ageing, Rudnicka, E., Napierala, P., Podfigurna, A., Męczekalski, B., Smolarczyk, R., & Grymowicz, M. 2020
- Introducing students to healthy aging within their own communities: An online applied research experience, Silverstein, N., Pitheckoff, N., & Dugan, E. 2020
- E-Health interventions for healthy aging: asystematic review, Buyl, R., Beogo, I., Fobelets, M., Deletroz, C., VanLanduyt, P., Dequanter, S., Gorus, E., Bourbonnais,A., Giguère, A., Lechasseur, K., & Gagnon, M. 2020
- Impact of COVID-19 on mental healthcare of older adults: Insights from Lebanon (Middle East) 2020
- Older People Facing the Crisis of COVID-19: Between Fragility and Resilience, Amieva, H., Avila-Funes, J.-A., Caillot-Ranjeva, S., Dartigues, J.-F., Koleck, M., Letenneur, L., Pech, M., Raoux, N., Rascle, N., Ouvrard, C., Tabue-Teguo, M., Villeneuve, R., & Bergua, V. 2020
- Inclusion of older persons: policy implications for the Arab region, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). 2019
- Quality of Life among Women Who Exposed to Violence: Adult women Versus Old Women. Gamal, A., Hussein, S., & Ayoub, G. 2018
- Ageing: a 21st century public health challenge? The Lancet Public Health (Editorial). 2017
- Aging and health in the Arab region: Challenges, opportunities and the way forward, Sibai AM, Semaan A, Tabbara J, Rizk A. 2017
- Ageing and Elderly Care in the Arab Region: Policy Challenges and Opportunities Hussein, S., Ismail, M. 2017
- Aging in Saudi Arabia: An Exploratory Study of Contemporary Older Persons' Views About Daily Life, Health, and the Experience of Aging. Karlin NJ, Weil J, Felmban W. 2016
- Healthy aging conceptualizations in Saudi Arabia: a systematic review, Altamimi, T. 2016
- The Rights of the Elderly in the Arab Middle East: Islamic Theory Versus Arabic Practice Elsaman, Radwa S. and Arafa, Mohamed A. 2012
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A Decade of Healthy Ageing? What good looks like and how we get there from?
- Population Ageing in the Middle East and North Africa: Policy and Practice Implications By Shereen Hussein
- Profiling Older Persons in EgyptR: Research Studies By Zeinab Khadr
- SDGs and Population Ageing By Ritu Sadana
- Ageing in the Middle East and North Africa: Towards a New Model of Care By Shereen Hussein and Mohamed Ismail
- Developing indicators for Age-Friendly Cities By Amit Prasad, Stephanie Steels, Kendra Dagg and Megumi Kano
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Current Issues Inviting Discussions
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Who should take the main responsibility of social care for older persons, the family, or the state?
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Are Arab families able to adequately cater to the wellbeing of the older population?
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What is being done or could be done by the state and other stakeholders to support this goal?
Featured Articles Inviting Comments
Important Links
- Aging
- Aging | UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund
- Duke Aging Center – Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development
- Home | American Society on Aging
- MENARAH Network
- National Institute on Aging
- RAND Center for the Study of Aging | RAND
- Social Determinants of Health and Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
- UN Decade of Healthy Ageing
