The population is aging at a rapid pace worldwide. The share of the global population aged 65 years or older is expected to increase from 9.3 percent in 2020 to around 16.0 percent in 2050. Lebanon has the highest proportion of older people in the Arab states, making up 11 percent of the country's population with an average lifespan of 78 years for men and 82 years for women.
Trustee Emeritus Munib Masri, a long-time supporter of the university, has recently made a donation to the American University of Beirut to establish the Munib and Angela Masri Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Award at the American University of Beirut Medical Center. The Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program is a joint initiative between the Departments of Internal Medicine and Family Medicine to address the care gap arising from the shortage of skilled primary care physicians able to deliver care to older adults in Lebanon and the region. This award will enable one family medicine or internal medicine trained physician to participate in a two-year clinical training fellowship program that provides trainees with in-depth experiences that cover the full spectrum of patients, problems, and settings that geriatricians are likely to encounter across a variety of clinical settings. This is achieved through participation in a diverse variety of clinical rotations in various healthcare settings, an extensive didactic curriculum, and a diverse and distinguished faculty that support the fellowship program through teaching, research and mentoring. “There is an urgent need for doctors with expertise in this field," said Raja N. Khuri Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs Raymond Sawaya. “We are deeply grateful to Mr. Munib for leading the way."
To celebrate the gift, VP/Dean Raymond Sawaya hosted a small gathering on Thursday, February 2, 2023, which was attended by Trustee Emeritus Munib Masri, his daughter May, and grandson Munib Masri (MSE '19). Dr. Kamal Badr, Dr. Fouad Ziyadeh, Dr. Umayyah Musharrafieh, Dr. Salah Zeineddine, Dr. George Assaf (program director of the Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program), Dr. Eli Akl, Dr. Nazem Bassil (associate program director), Dr. Ramzi Hajjar, and Senior Vice President (SVP) for Advancement and Business Development Imad Baalbaki. In his remarks on February 2, Trustee Masri spoke about his gift. “There is recognition of the need to acquire specific skills and knowledge required to treat older adults. We believe this program is important in filling the geriatric care gap in Lebanon and the region. We hope we can contribute more to AUB because we think AUB is leading the way by example."
SVP Baalbaki thanked Trustee Masri for his longstanding support for AUB.