Regional Vice President Spotlight - Middle East & North Africa (MENA)

Mamdouh Wahba

Mamdouh Wahba, an Egyptian physician specializing in obstetrics and gynecology and sexual and reproductive health, is the IAAH Regional Vice-President for the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region. An accomplished physician, Wahba holds a membership in the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and was a founding member of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health (London, UK).

After his work in the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, Wahba returned to Egypt and worked as a manager and consultant for many national and international family planning organizations as well as a reproductive health regional trainer. In 1983, Wahba established the Egyptian Family Health Society, which has been a leading organization focused on sexual and reproductive health education, and as a leader in advocating for adolescent medicine to become a subspeciality in medical and nursing schools in Egypt. He also founded the Arab Coalition for Adolescent Medicine and the Egyptian Society for Adolescent Medicine.

Appointed as the Egyptian Assistant Minister of Population in 1994, Wahba was instrumental in leading the young people’s session during the International Conference for Population & Development (ICPD) meeting held in Cairo that year. Since then, Wahba has devoted his time and effort to educating young people in Egypt and other Arab countries about sexual and reproductive health. Wahba continues to be actively engaged in advocating for adolescent health and medicine in the MENA region, promoting trainings for Arab healthcare providers, and conducting a variety of scientific activities.

The MENA region is preparing to host their 4^th adolescent health conference, “Adolescent Care, Leaving No One Behind”, December 1^st-3^rd, 2021 in Hurghada, Egypt. This in-person event will focus on unmet needs of disadvantaged youth suffering from chronic illness or disabilities; ethnic minorities; youth living in low socioeconomic environments; and those displaced by political violence. In addition to looking at ways to invest in adolescents’ health and well-being.  Prior MENA regional conferences have been held in Cairo, Egypt, Muscat, Oman, and Amman, Jordan. For more information, to submit an abstract, or to register for this event, please visit the conference website: www.mena4.org. Abstracts must be submitted no later than July 31st, 2021.

Wahba has a son and daughter and is a proud grandfather to one young adult and five adolescents!