Science Health Education Center

Developing Health Care and Science Capacity in MENA Countries

In many conflict- and violence-torn MENA countries, unstable and underfunded health systems struggle to provide modern services — and are hampered by limited regional capacity in science and education.

As a result, health and education indications in MENA countries are extremely poor. Trends for cancer-related risk factors indicate that in the next 15 years, the region will see the world's largest increase in cancer incidence. The incidence of communicable diseases, such as HIV, is also on the rise.

The Science Health Education (SHE) Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute addresses health disparities in the region — aiming to develop effective health care and science implementation strategies that target disease, and building sustainable scientific and health infrastructure and capacity.

Using a multidisciplinary, team-based approach to MENA-region health and science capacity-building, Dana-Farber's SHE Center is fostering education, innovation, training, research excellence, and the dissemination of health care best practices across international borders.

Our highly skilled faculty from Dana-Farber and Harvard Medical School are dedicated to training and mentoring, and are providing a framework to work collaboratively with MENA-region scholars in the United States and abroad.

The Center's Areas of Focus

The Center is focused on education and training in collaborative research and care, and the implementation of best practices in the MENA region. These areas build upon each other and are iterative – with capacity-building and research data forming a dynamic foundation for implementation that improves health.

We will measure outcomes based on our:

• Increased understanding of MENA region-specific health needs.
• Design and implementation of research-based strategies to prevent disease and promote health and care.
• Development of an educated and highly trained regional workforce.

Health Challenges in MENA Countries

Cancer

Cancer kills more than 250,000 people each year in the MENA region, with cancer incidence on the rise. While the projected increase can be attributed in part to the same causes as in other regions (population aging, tobacco usage, earlier detection), the region is also seeing a rise in pediatric and rare cancers that are thought to have regional causes. Among these is exposure to industrial and agricultural carcinogens that have been banned elsewhere, and to chemical weapons used in regional warfare.

Infectious Diseases

The incidence of sexually-transmitted diseases in the region is increasing, but addressing these diseases is complicated by social, religious, and legal stigma. Research and prevention efforts are growing, but are still inadequate. In the case of HIV, MENA is one of only two regions in the world with an expanding HIV epidemic. The overall incidence of HIV has increased by almost 79 percent from 2001 to 2010. And although deaths from AIDS have shown a 176 percent increase in the region, many MENA countries have not yet established their own national strategic plans.