About us
The rapid ageing of the population in the Middle East and North Africa over the last 20 years, geriatric medicine has developed as a specialty to confronts the challenges of the increased intricacies of later life health care. Geriatric medicine, combining the principles of gerontology, internal medicine, rehabilitation and palliative care, is now recognized as an effective tool for delivering high-quality, humane, interdisciplinary, appropriate and cost-effective care to older people
In the 2005’s it became increasingly clear that there was a need for a Regional focus to support and promote the concept of specialist healthcare for older people in the Middle East and North Africa. In affirmation to the changing views about the elderly with misconceptions about its association with disability, disease and dependence on others as age advances. There are increasing external and internal pressures to improve the quality of patient care, providing better services for the elderly , and to emphasize health policies and regulation that protect the elderly in the region.
A number of National and Regional Organization-Including Middle East Academy for Medicine of Ageing, MENAR, and others – have developed a common platform for training, research and development of services. There were a number of important declarations in the Region including
These declarations, in addition to EMERO Regional strategy has been a useful roadmap for a complex area, and in effect provides an agenda for the priority areas for development in healthcare for older people. The Declarations emphasizes the necessity of continuously including elderly people and social, economic, spiritual, cultural, and civil activities, as well as working towards health promotion and provision of suitable environment. Some of the points of Tripoli Declaration are included below:
One of the crowning accomplishments of the end of the second millennium has been the rapid aging of our populations. Such ageing has also brought obstacles to maintaining the health of the aged communities in terms of a new order of complexity. Geriatric medicine has evolved to meet this challenge and has proven to be a cost-effective and productive development. A number of organizations have supported the development of geriatric medicine in the MENA area, and motion has been building up over the last decade. Nevertheless, it was felt that a core emphasis for continuing professional growth and academic concerns in the Area was still missing.
The first group met to discuss the Middle East Association of Age, Ageing & Alzheimer’s MEAAA was in 2002 in Lebanon after several meetings the MEAAA was established in 2005 and the name was changed later to Middle East and North Africa Association on Aging & Alzheimer’s MENAAA. The main goals are:
The rapid ageing of the population in the Middle East and North Africa over the last 20 years, geriatric medicine has developed as a specialty to confronts the challenges of the increased intricacies of later life health care. Geriatric medicine, combining the principles of gerontology, internal medicine, rehabilitation and palliative care, is now recognized as an effective tool for delivering high-quality, humane, interdisciplinary, appropriate and cost-effective care to older people
In the 2005’s it became increasingly clear that there was a need for a Regional focus to support and promote the concept of specialist healthcare for older people in the Middle East and North Africa. In affirmation to the changing views about the elderly with misconceptions about its association with disability, disease and dependence on others as age advances. There are increasing external and internal pressures to improve the quality of patient care, providing better services for the elderly , and to emphasize health policies and regulation that protect the elderly in the region.
A number of National and Regional Organization-Including Middle East Academy for Medicine of Ageing, MENAR, and others – have developed a common platform for training, research and development of services. There were a number of important declarations in the Region including
- Riyadh Charter on Elderly Care issued by the Second Gulf Symposium on elderly care, held und the theme: Health of the Elderly: Responsibility of the Family and Community - Riyadh 17-18 March 2009.
- Tripoli Declaration on Older People 6 November 2009 during the Second Middle East Congress on Age, Ageing and Alzheimer’s and the presence of representatives from eighteen countries.
These declarations, in addition to EMERO Regional strategy has been a useful roadmap for a complex area, and in effect provides an agenda for the priority areas for development in healthcare for older people. The Declarations emphasizes the necessity of continuously including elderly people and social, economic, spiritual, cultural, and civil activities, as well as working towards health promotion and provision of suitable environment. Some of the points of Tripoli Declaration are included below:
- The need for a national strategies for elderly care.
- Encouraging research and development of the discipline of geriatrics.
- Establishing multidisciplinary teams to take care of the elderly population
- Development of human resources
- Strengthening and development of Age friendly primary health care
- Support of self care.
- Strong Participation of older people in the society and in decision.
- Raising awareness of the population
- Provision of Social Care
- Emphasis the importance of home care
- Establishment of civil societies associations dealing with elderly issues.
- Strengthening of psychological well being of older people
One of the crowning accomplishments of the end of the second millennium has been the rapid aging of our populations. Such ageing has also brought obstacles to maintaining the health of the aged communities in terms of a new order of complexity. Geriatric medicine has evolved to meet this challenge and has proven to be a cost-effective and productive development. A number of organizations have supported the development of geriatric medicine in the MENA area, and motion has been building up over the last decade. Nevertheless, it was felt that a core emphasis for continuing professional growth and academic concerns in the Area was still missing.
The first group met to discuss the Middle East Association of Age, Ageing & Alzheimer’s MEAAA was in 2002 in Lebanon after several meetings the MEAAA was established in 2005 and the name was changed later to Middle East and North Africa Association on Aging & Alzheimer’s MENAAA. The main goals are:
- A MENA Region of healthy older people.
- The Regional point of connection and networks of organizations and experts to influence and shape age-related policy.
- The Regional scientific and scholarly hubs on aging.