Beirut: The Cli-Health Program (CHP) at the Global Health Institute (GHI) at the American University of Beirut (AUB) convened senior policymakers, academic leaders, health professionals, civil society representatives, and technology experts for a high-level dialogue on strengthening climate-resilient health systems across the MENA region. Held at AUB, the event marked the official launch of GHI's new online Certificate in Climate Change and Health, a regionally tailored program for professionals interested in developing a deeper understanding of the topic.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, Nour El Arnaout, associate director at AUB GHI, opened the event by emphasizing that climate change is no longer just an environmental concern but a structural health systems challenge. In a region grappling with intensifying heat, water scarcity, food insecurity, air pollution, and displacement, she stressed the importance of embedding climate resilience into governance, workforce development, and institutional planning to safeguard health systems.
In his keynote address, Dr. Rakan Nassereddine, minister of public health in Lebanon, highlighted the implications of climate change for national health security. He called for a shift from fragmented interventions to coordinated governance, sustainable financing, and cross-sectoral alignment to future-proof Lebanon's health system.
Delivering the scientific keynote, Dr. Mey Jurdi, chairperson of the Environmental Health Department at AUB's Faculty of Health Sciences, presented evidence from a national vulnerability assessment of healthcare facilities. She revealed significant risks in workforce readiness, infrastructure, energy, and WASH systems and advocated for integrating climate resilience criteria into accreditation and institutional standards.
The newly launched Certificate in Climate Change and Health was introduced as a direct response to a global mapping study conducted by GHI, which identified the need for a structured, multilingual, region-specific capacity-building program in MENA. Offered in Arabic and English, the certificate provides professionals with practical tools to integrate climate resilience into health systems and institutions, promoting long-term institutional transformation.
A panel discussion featuring experts such as Farah Jradi from the International Organization of Migration (IOM) Lebanon, Dr. Rannia El Sayed from Pathfinder International, Abir Kurdi Alame from the Order of Nurses in Lebanon, and Leonida Mutuku from the Local Development Research Institute in Kenya reinforced the need to link evidence to policy, strengthen the frontline workforce and community capacity, modernize health education standards, and responsibly leverage digital innovation and AI in low-resource settings.
The event concluded with a call to action for advancing climate-resilient health systems, highlighting the necessity of sustained political commitment, strategic investment in workforce capacity, institutional reform, and cross-sectoral collaboration to protect populations and ensure the long-term resilience of health systems across the MENA region.