Dr. Dalia Samhouri is a senior public health professional with over 20 years of experience in health emergency management at the scientific, policy, managerial, and academic levels. Currently, Dr Samhouri is the Lead Health Specialist for Pandemic Fund, hosted by the World Bank, where she provides expert technical and programmatic guidance on funding proposals, aligning with strategic priorities of the Pandemic Fund at national, regional and global levels. Dr Samhouri also leads the engagement of co-investor constituencies in strategic decision-making of the Pandemic Fund and advocates for the Fund’s critical role in global health security.
Before that, Dr. Samhouri was the Regional Manager of Health Emergency Preparedness and International Health Regulations at the Cairo-based WHO Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Region. While there, she led the development and execution of comprehensive health security preparedness strategies in EMRO’s 22 member states. Prior to this, Dr. Samhouri undertook various responsibilities at the WHO regional office, including the monitoring and evaluation of International Health Regulations and providing support for risk assessment, preparedness, and response to major public health events and emergencies. Before her tenure at the WHO Regional Office, Dr. Samhouri served in the WHO Country Office for the West Bank and Gaza, coordinating humanitarian activities, ensuring continuity of health services, and enhancing preparedness and response capacities to emergencies.
Dr. Samhouri holds a PhD in Biomedical Science with a major in Global Health from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and a Master's degree in Public Health with a major Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Tulane University, USA.
