Professor Dr. Maha El Rabbat, Egyptian Ex- Minister of Health and Population is primarily a professor of Public Health. She has served the Government of Egypt and is continually serving to support regional health systems strengthening efforts and supporting the scientific development of her University, the Cairo University, where Prof. El Rabbat has been granted her early medical under/post graduate degrees prior to her equally successful attainment of several international certification/accreditation.
She has held several high-level academic and leadership positions with more than 40 years of strategic leadership, policy and advocacy and operational expertise through her technical positions and close work with national, regional, and international organizations as an expert in public health and lately with the COVID 19 pandemic as WHO/DG Special Envoy for COVID 19. She is a member of the AU Commission on Africa’s COVID-19 Response Strategy and a member of the Global Preparedness and Monitoring Board.
Professor El Rabbat has extensive experience in conducting system-wide assessments and reform in response to emerging needs and supported strengthening of service delivery at different levels especially PHC . She has worked on strengthening health systems and responses to emerging needs and human development in the region, particularly in middle and lower income countries, through evidence-based policy, knowledge exchange and networking.
She has been advocating for better health system governance and management, promoting public health, capacity building in public health functions, universal health coverage, primary health care and preparedness and addressing emergencies, communicable, non communicable and endemic diseases as core for improving health sector response and promoting right to health for all with emphasis on vulnerable, needy populations and in fragile settings.
Dr. El Rabbat serves as a member in several health committees and advisory boards such as WHO/EMRO regional advisory committee; WHO Expert Reference Group on WHO Impact Framework, International Academy of Public Health (IAPH)/Jordan; Arab Public Health Association; Pandemic preparedness platform for health and emerging infections’ response(PANTHER). Her membership has allowed her to be closely involved in observing and shaping global, regional and national health systems policies.
