Health and Well Being

 

As we look towards the promising future of the region, we hope to bring together those with a passion for this field to devise innovative solutions to these issues and more. By integrating preventative medicine, including health education as part of the educational systems of the Arab world, continuing the improvements in hygiene and infrastructure that have already begun, and enhancing research efforts and health-information systems, we can work together to identify a sustainable and progressive system. In so doing, we can begin to support the development necessary to improve the quality of living for all those who inhabit the Arab world.

Subtopics to be discussed at Envision Arabia 2011:

1) HIV/AIDS and Public Health Planning - Today, there is much controversy surrounding the status of the           spread of HIV/AIDS in the Middle East; however, it is clear from the concentrated HIV epidemics recently reported that this is a major contemporary health issue in the region. By creating awareness, support systems, and treatment options, we can begin to address the spread of this disease as well as help those already suffering. Public health planning will also be crucial in creating system-wide solutions.

2) Smoking and Drug Abuse - Although its effects on health are well-known, smoking remains very prominent amongst people in the Arab world and is slowly appropriating itself into the culture, becoming the social norm. Drug abuse is also on the rise. It is important to realize that these habits not only affect the health of those who directly take part, but they also pose a great danger to the overall well-being of society at large and must be addressed promptly.

3) Obesity and Non-communicable Diseases - Lack of awareness about general nutrition, poor diet and exercise regimes, and other causes have produced alarming health problems in the Middle East ranging from obesity to diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. These health issues greatly affect the daily lives of those who experience them, and lifestyle changes – as well as systemic ones – can help reduce this suffering.

4) Health Systems and Economic Growth - In order to enhance the quality of life for those in the Arab world, sustainable health systems that can provide effective care must be constructed. It is crucial to examine how this can be accomplished in a way that recognizes the nuances of economic development as it pertains to health systems.

 

ADI Health and Well-being Chair: Katharine L. Fischer

Dr. Sameera Al Tuwaijri - Speaker and moderator (HIV/AIDS and Public Health Planning)

Dr. Sameera Al Tuwaijri is currently the lead health specialist at the World Bank. She is a medical doctor by education and training. She also has a Master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Public Health, focusing on health systems development. Prior to the World Bank and after concluding her public health studies, she worked in the United Nations system for ten years. Dr. Al Tuwaijri is a native of Saudi Arabia, married and has one child, Danah.

 

Dr. Ibrahim Al Maghlouth - Moderator (Smoking and Drug Abuse)

Dr. Ibrahim Al Maghlouth practices internal medicine in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and is also studying to complete a Master’s degree in Experimental Medicine at McGill University. He is originally from Saudi Arabia, having earned his medical degree at the King Saud University College of Medicine. His dedication to health is evident by his long history of volunteerism in the field.

Dr. Mona Mowafi - Moderator (Obesity and Non-communicable Diseases)

Dr. Mona Mowafi received her Ph.D. in Social Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health and a Master’s in International Health from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. She has lived and worked in Beirut, Lebanon and Cairo, Egypt, where her research was on urban health inequities with a focus on obesity and chronic disease. She is a co-author on the first textbook on Public Health in the Arab World (forthcoming, Cambridge University Press) and is a co-author on a recent report estimating the global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) being launched for the September 2011 UN Summit on NCDs

Mr. Ali Hamandi - Moderator (Health Systems and Economic Growth)

Ali Hamandi is a Master’s candidate at Harvard University, and his research interests lie in the political economy of development and the intersection of health and economic growth. He has previously worked for the World Bank and the World Health Organization on health systems reform issues, and most recently, he helped assess the global economic burden of chronic diseases under the auspices of the World Economic Forum. His other credentials include founding Sawa, an NGO that aims to integrate refugee children in host communities, notably in Morocco, Egypt, and Tanzania.