Identifying Health-Related Needs and Priorities of Older Women in Rural Lebanon

This project works with older women in the village of Kfarhouna, in southern Lebanon, to understand their health needs and priorities as they age. Lebanon has the fastest-aging population in the region, and rural areas face chronic underinvestment in healthcare, transportation and social services, circumstances that fall hardest on older women, many of whom live alone. Using community-engaged research, the team builds a coalition of religious leaders, village representatives and women leaders, then convenes focus groups to surface how women themselves define health and healthy aging. Partnering with the American University of Beirut and the local municipality, the project produces a needs assessment and a community-designed plan to guide a future program, laying the groundwork to strengthen local systems that support healthy aging.