There is evidence of a significant burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among older people in the MENA region. Furthermore, the number of older people with NCDs in the region is expected to reach 1.3 million in 2030, nearly 50% higher than in 2015. Other morbidities, such as dementia, are also projected to increase. Yet, there are limited studies on the prevalence of dementia in the region indicating current levels at 6% of older people. Some studies highlight lack of awareness and under-diagnosis of dementia in the region. Mental health at old age is also a growing concern across the region but again, there is limited data to establish its true scale and impact. For the MENA region, it is particularly important to recognise the role of gender and filial obligations on the level of disease, social and care burden among older people and their informal carers.
Hussein, S. (2019) Older people’s health and care needs in the Middle East: Policy and practice perspectives within changing population structures. United Nation’s Expert Group Meeting on Measuring Population Ageing.
Founder and Director
Shereen Hussein is a Health and Social Care Policy professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), United Kingdom.
Shereen Founded the MENARAH Network in 2019, through an initial grant from the Global Challenge Research Fund, UKRI. She is a medical demographer with expertise in ageing, family dynamics, migration and long-term care systems. Shereen regularly collaborates with the United Nations, the World Health Organisation and the World Bank in policy and research focused on ageing in the Middle East and North Africa Region.
Shereen received her undergraduate degree in statistics and a postgraduate degree in computer science at Cairo University. She completed an MSc in medical demography at the London School of Hygiene and a PhD in quantitative demography and population studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom.
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