Meet the heroes powering our emergency response: Dr Sahar Maklad, Regional Staff doctor, WHO …
Episode 6
Dr Sahar Maklad
Regional Staff doctor, WHO Eastern Mediterranean RegionI lead the medical team responsible for staff health and well-being across the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. Joining the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean in 2016 marked a new chapter in my journey of humanitarian work. Today, this spans more than 2 decades of diverse medical and occupational health practice.
The Eastern Mediterranean Region is host to a tapestry of challenges, from armed conflicts to natural disasters, with significant disparities in health systems. Depending on the capacities and resources available, an easily accessible and simple medical procedure in one country can be particularly challenging and complex in another. The diversity of health services available to staff across the Region has greatly contributed to my personal and professional awareness of the importance of WHO’s mission.
As a humanitarian worker who deals with other people’s pain, you are learning every day. My interactions and experiences in my work, both at the Regional Office and country offices, have given me a lot more patience and compassion and have deepened my listening skills. I have acquired a greater understanding of the wide range of human experiences and of unprecedented situations.
It has also been very useful to connect with health providers across the Region. During