Dima Arafah from the Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, QU Health
Doha, Qatar: Qatar University (QU) announced that its application to serve on the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) Youth Council has been accepted.
Dima Arafah (pictured) from the Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, will represent QU at this prestigious body.
This nomination underscores Qatar’s commitment to cultivating youth participation in public health policy, acknowledging Arafah’s qualifications, and highlighting her dedication to healthcare. She is a lecturer in QU’s Public Health Department. Her academic journey began with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She further honed her skills with a Master’s degree in Population and Public Health from the College of Medicine at the University of Calgary, Canada.
Presently, she is nearing the completion of her Ph.D. in Primary Healthcare at the University of Exeter’s School of Medicine and Health, UK, where her research focuses on the utilisation of emergency services by children with asthma in Qatar. In 2022, Arafah earned an Executive Certificate in Healthcare Management and Policy, a joint initiative of HEC Paris and Weill Cornell Medicine, held in New York, USA, and Doha, Qatar.
The WHO EMRO Youth Council is a visionary initiative recognising young people not only as future leaders but also as current agents of change. With a mission to position young voices at the core of global health decision-making processes, the Council aims to form strategic alliances with youth organisations, amplifying the contributions of young individuals to public health.
This strategy promotes comprehensive and inclusive youth engagement across the Eastern Mediterranean Region.
Collaborating with a diverse array of organisations, including intergovernmental and nongovernmental bodies, academic and research institutions, philanthropic foundations, and youth parliamentarian groups, the WHO EMRO Youth Council is a dynamic platform. As QU’s representative, Arafah will play a crucial role in advancing public health aligned with the Council’s objectives and goals.
Dr. Hanan Abdul Rahim, Dean of the College of Health Sciences at QU, expressed her enthusiasm, stating: “I am delighted that QU, which has been designated a Healthy University by WHO, will be represented on the Council.”
“We see the WHO EMRO Youth Council as a platform for empowering youth, the future of our region, to get actively involved in addressing the conditions that shape their health and wellbeing. QU’s keenness to be a part of this initiative is a reflection of its commitment to preparing responsible citizens and future leaders who prioritize the health and wellbeing of their communities.”
Arafah will join a vibrant network of stakeholders, contributing to a platform that amplifies the voices and experiences of young people. Her role involves harnessing and expanding her expertise, energy, and ideas to promote public health initiatives. The Council’s endeavors are directed towards fortifying youth contributions to public health systems, and empowering Member States to engage young people as key drivers in policy-making processes.
