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.