ABOUT US
Pioneering research, education, service, innovative practices, policy formulation
WHAT IS HeLM?
Mission & Vision
WHY WAS HeLM CREATED?
What is HeLM?
The American University of Beirut (AUB)’s Healthy Longevity Mission (HeLM) is an interdisciplinary movement led by the Faculty of Health Sciences, launched in September 2025 by Dean Abla Sibai to respond to the urgent demographic shift of aging populations across Lebanon and the MENA region. HeLM brings together scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and communities to build a vibrant ecosystem for healthy longevity.
Through interdisciplinary collaboration, evidence-informed advocacy, and strategic partnerships, HeLM seeks to close existing gaps and create a holistic, rights-based framework for aging rooted in equity, inclusion, and lifelong empowerment.
Mission
Advance innovative research, education, care programs, services and policies aimed at promoting the health and well-being of older adults and fostering a society for all ages.
Vision
The leading academic platform for healthy longevity, enabling every individual to age with dignity, purpose, and opportunity in the MENA region and beyond.
Why Was HeLM created?
Population aging is one of the most significant global demographic trends of the 21st century, with wide-reaching implications for public health, economic development, and social structures.
This shift is no longer confined to high-income countries; it is rapidly transforming societies across low- and middle-income regions, including the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
This demographic transition presents profound public health and policy challenges. Most systems across MENA remain focused on youth-heavy populations and are ill-equipped to address the evolving needs of older adults. Existing gaps in healthcare access, social protection, and geriatric care risk being exacerbated as the population ages.
To meet these challenges effectively, integrated and comprehensive approaches are essential—developing multidisciplinary hubs and advancing an institutional mission that address physical and mental health, social inclusion, policy support, and lifelong well-being within a cohesive framework.
Such efforts are vital to closing the current gaps and ensuring healthy, dignified aging for the region’s growing older population.