We are delighted to share that PhD candidates Khin Zaw Aung and Htet Phyo Aung, from the International Executive School, have published groundbreaking research examining how older adults experience healthy aging in Myanmar’s post-coup crisis context.

Healthy aging is widely recognized as a multidimensional phenomenon shaped by social, economic, and relational conditions. Yet little research has explored how older adults understand and navigate aging well when facing sustained political instability. With Myanmar experiencing prolonged crisis since 2021, the foundations of healthy aging have come under considerable strain. Aung and Aung’s study set out to understand this lived experience.

Through semi-structured interviews with 26 retirees across urban and rural Myanmar, the researchers conducted a qualitative inquiry into the realities of aging during crisis. Through inductive thematic analysis, three interconnected themes emerged: the erosion of psychological wellbeing, as chronic fear and uncertainty undermined participants’ sense of inner peace; the collapse of economic and physical security, reflecting the breakdown of healthcare access and financial stability; and the disruption of social roles and family bonds, capturing participants’ profound grief over their inability to fulfill the caregiving and relational roles central to their identity and sense of purpose.

What makes this research particularly significant is its humanizing lens. By centering the voices of older adults themselves, Aung and Aung illuminate how crisis reverberates across multiple dimensions of wellbeing simultaneously. Their findings carry important implications for humanitarian responses and policymakers working with older populations in conflict-affected settings, offering crucial insights into how to better support aging communities under duress.

We congratulate Khin Zaw Aung and Htet Phyo Aung on this meaningful contribution to gerontological research and our proud support of scholarship that gives voice to those navigating Myanmar’s most difficult circumstances.

Reference: Aung, K., Aung, H., & Naipaul, R. (2026). Aging Under Crisis: The Compounding Challenges of Healthy Aging in Post-coup Myanmar. The Asian Conference on Aging & Gerontology 2026: Official Conference Proceedings, 229–240. https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2432-4183.2026.19