In this seminar, Dr. Fouad Fouad and Zahirah McNatt will share findings from their research studies on non-communicable diseases among refugees in the Middle East. Findings from the qualitative study, What’s Happening in Syria Even Affects the Rocks, and the joint project, Responding to Changing Health Needs in Complex Emergencies, between Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Faculty of Health Sciences at the American University of Beirut will be discussed, to foster dialogue amongst stakeholders about how to improve the accessibility and quality of NCD services for refugees in non-camp settings. The presentations will be followed by breakout sessions that engage participants in a discussion on policy and practice implementation, to identify strategies for addressing NCD needs among refugees in urban settings, and produce recommendations for a variety of stakeholders that respond to the health needs of displaced communities in the Middle East.
Fouad M. Fouad, MD, is Assistant Research Professor at the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, and a Co-Director of the Refugees Health Program at the Global Health Institute at the American University of Beirut (AUB). He is currently working on a number of research projects related to the Syrian crisis and/or Syrian refugees, including “Responding to changing health needs in complex emergencies: A policy imperative,” and “Identifying ways to promote health systems resilience in contexts of protracted displacement through systems analysis of UNRWA provision to Palestine refugees displaced by the Syria crisis.” Professor Fouad serves as a commissioner in two Lancet Commissions; AUB Lancet Commission: Syria and the Crises in Global Governance, Health and Aid; and UCL Lancet Commission on Migration and Health.
Zahirah McNatt, MHSA, is a Senior Research Associate with the Syrian Refugee Initiative and a doctoral student at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. She has led two research studies in Jordan focused on the health of refugees residing in urban settings, and the rights of refugees to access durable solutions. Zahirah has also taken on new work aimed at studying the effectiveness of emergency education programs for children in adversity in central and east Africa. Prior to these research roles, Zahirah spent ten years managing and implementing projects and reforms in health systems and human rights across Africa, South Asia and the Caribbean.