Delivering Health in a Region on the Move

Delivering Health in a Region on the Move: Health Systems and Forced Migration

We invite researchers and practitioners to join us for 'Delivering Health in a Region on the Move: Health Systems and Forced Migration in the Middle East', a roundtable event exploring the complex intersections of fragile health systems and forced displacement in the Middle East.

This session will feature presentations by Dr Ibrahim Bou Orm (Senior Lecturer in Global Health and Social Sciences) and Professor Fouad Fouad (Professor in Social Sciences and Global Health) from the Department of International Public Health at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

This opening presentation will be followed by reflections offered by respondents Dr Mhoira Leng (Senior Fellow, Global Health Academy, University of Edinburgh & Executive Committee Member, PallCHASE), Frances Guy (Chief Executive, Scotland’s International Development Alliance) and Azza Abumandeel (Ambassador for the Voices Network).

Together, we will examine the challenges and strategies of delivering healthcare in fragile contexts of forced migration. This in-person event offers an opportunity for engaged dialogue and interdisciplinary exchange around the evolving challenges of health and forced migration in the region.

Time and Date: 3.30-5pm on Tuesday, 24th June

Location: Room 207, 10 The Square

This event is organised by the Peaceful, Secure & Empowered Societies Interdisciplinary Research Theme of the College of Social Sciences, University of Glasgow.

Any queries, please feel free to contact the organisers: Dr Asli Ozcelik Olcay (YXNsaSAhIG9sY2F5IHwgZ2xhc2dvdyAhIGFjICEgdWs=) and Dr Molly Gilmour (bW9sbHkgISBnaWxtb3VyIHwgZ2xhc2dvdyAhIGFjICEgdWs=)

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Bios of speakers and respondents:

Dr Ibrahim R. Bou-Orm is Senior Lecturer in Global Health and Social Sciences at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. He is a medical doctor with extensive experience in global public health research and practice, including designing and implementing complex health systems and policy studies in fragile and conflict-affected settings. His work includes the use of tools like applied political economy analysis, systems dynamics methods, surveys, and mixed methods to analyse health systems delivering care for vulnerable and displaced populations in crises and emergencies. He has actively contributed to international conferences and participated in key expert consultation meetings, such the WHO EMRO consultation meetings on health systems recovery from emergencies (in 2023 and 2025). He also supported WHO EMRO in developing the principles and priorities for health system recovery in the occupied Palestinian territory (2024). Dr Bou-Orm holds a medical degree (MD) from St. Joseph University of Beirut, an MPH from the American University of Beirut, and a PhD from Queen Margaret University – Edinburgh.

Fouad M. Fouad, M.D. is a Professor of Social Sciences and Global Health at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and an Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Health Sciences at the American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon. His research focuses on migration and health, with an emphasis on multidisciplinary approaches to forced displacement, health systems in humanitarian settings, and the political economy of health in protracted crises. Fouad is a member of several global technical working groups, including the WHO Global Consultation on the Health of Migrants and Refugees and the Global Research Agenda on Health and Migration, reflecting his leadership and influence in the field. Fouad was a commissioner with the UCL–Lancet Commission on Migration and Health (2018) and currently serves on the Lancet Commission on Health, Conflict, and Forced Migration. His contributions to the field were recognized in The Lancet, which featured a profile on his work on forced displacement: Fouad M Fouad: enriching the dialogue on displacement and health - The Lancet

Dr Mhoira Leng

Graduating from Aberdeen University Dr Mhoira Leng was one of the first Scottish specialists trained in palliative care then consultant in Grampian NHS Trust for 10 years. Pursing her interest in global health she founded Cairdeas International Palliative Care Trust and has now worked across 4 continents and more than 20 countries to advocate and build capacity for palliative care. Invited to establish the first centre of excellence for palliative care within Makerere University, since 2008 she is also Senior Fellow with the Global Health Academy, University of Edinburgh co-founding ‘Palliative care in a changing climate’ and PallCHASE which integrating humanitarian settings and palliative care. Dr Leng is passionate about transformative, compassionate health care with a focus on those living with serious illness and in fragile settings. She continues to explore these words, spoken by her student at Islamic University of Gaza ‘palliative care is humanity until infinity’.

Frances Guy

Frances Guy joined SIDA in 2021, after a long career in diplomacy and international development. She was born and educated in Scotland, Italy, and Canada before embarking on an international career that has taken her principally to the Horn of Africa and the Arabic speaking world, including Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen. Frances worked for Christian Aid between 2014 – 2017 as head of their Middle East team based in London. Most recently she was gender team leader for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) regional office in the Arab states. She was Representative for UNWomen in Iraq from May 2012 to December 2014 and before that she had a long career in the British Diplomatic Service during which she served as British Ambassador to Lebanon (2006 -2011) and to Yemen (2001 -2004).

Azza Abumandeel

Azza holds a Master’s degree in International Education and Development from the University of Sussex and a Diploma in Refugee and Migration Studies from the University of Oxford. Currently, she is working as a legal access caseworker at Care4Calais. Additionally, Azza serves as an Ambassador for the Voices Network in Scotland. Her dedication to refugee advocacy and her extensive academic and professional background underscore her commitment to supporting vulnerable communities.

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