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UK-Med forges new partnership with the Lebanese American University

We’re excited to announce that UK-Med has forged a new partnership with the Lebanese American University (LAU).

The Lebanese American University (LAU) in Beirut is one of the top universities in the Middle East. UK-Med has been active in Lebanon since the explosion at Beirut Port in August 2020, and we’re excited for the new opportunities that this partnership will offer for healthcare workers and students in the country.

Our partnership will provide health emergency preparedness training to medical students and nurses and conduct joint research on the ongoing humanitarian health crises within the country.

Having compassionate, ethical and empathetic healthcare providers is at the core of the LAU medical school, nursing school and pharmacy’s missions. Through this partnership, UK-Med will bring its practical and operational learning from more than 25-years-experience to help Lebanese healthcare workers deliver better care for patients in a humanitarian context, a rare feature of medical and nursing education in Lebanon.

The charity signed an agreement with the University’s Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing (ARCSON) today.

An ongoing humanitarian health crisis in Lebanon

David Wightwick, CEO of UK-Med, says, “UK-Med is exceptionally proud to partner with a world-renowned academic body such as LAU and combine our efforts for the future.”

He continues: “Working closely with academic partners to develop high-quality training, building the evidence base essential for effective humanitarian response, and actively delivering for the most vulnerable is a core part of what we do.”

Drawing from the painful experience at Beirut Port, which tragically left more than 200 people dead and 7000 injured, the LAU President Michel E. Mawad highlighted: “It is imperative for our institution to seek the training and expertise necessary to handle such a disaster and to offer the best services possible to save lives and improve the quality of life for the survivors.”

The ongoing, multilayered economic, social and health crises in Lebanon suggest that the Lebanese people are at higher risk for emergencies and disasters, according to a UK-Med report. Lebanon also hosts the largest number of refugees for its size in the world.

Alamia Annous conducting awareness raising workshops for medical staff in Tripoli Hospital (D Ritzau-Reid, Lebanon 2020)

A sharing of expertise and experience

“There is no better partner for LAU in pursuing such endeavours than UK-Med, who has a stellar track record and the know-how to provide us with the help and training necessary to be better prepared for large-scale emergencies,” said Dr Mawad.

Interim Dean of ARCSON Costantine Daher hailed the new partnership as “a fruitful, strategic and sustainable collaboration focused on long-term interests rather than short-term benefits.”

In the first phase, UK-Med will provide training in Risk Communications and Community Engagement (RCCE), which is “considered a vital part of any emergency preparedness and response plan,” according to the organization.

The seven-module training will be offered as part of LAU’s Interprofessional Education Program (IPE) to all health students who will go on to contribute to health promotion before, during and after the onset of any health emergency.

Preparing a new generation of graduates

Dr Daher explained that LAU will offer its expertise to establish – together with UK-Med – a research network that would attract funds from international agencies and donors.

“Working with academic partners to promote evidence-based practice and to continually improve teaching and responses to achieve the best patient outcomes is one of our key priorities,” explains UK-Med’s Health Director, Dr Ram Vadi.

“LAU is a university that believes in enhancing learning through continuous partnerships. UK-Med is very proud to partner with LAU and bring this learning to the next generation of their graduates.”

Learn more about the Lebanese American University (LAU) on their website. To see more of the organisations that UK-Med are proud partners of, visit our page here.

Top photo, from left to right: Costantine Daher (Interim Dean of ARCSON), Dr Michel Mawad (LAU President) and Diana Maddah (UK-Med RCCE Specialist). Bottom photo: David Wightwick (UK-Med CEO).
“LAU is a university that believes in enhancing learning through continuous partnerships. UK-Med is very proud to partner with LAU and bring this learning to the next generation of their graduates.”

Dr Ram Vadi, UK-Med Health Director

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