If you want to make a difference in the wellbeing of our earth and humans, you are at the right place. We share the same ambitious goal—making a difference in the field of Public Health

Welcome to the Department of Public Health, where we aim to shape the public health discourse by educating and training tomorrow’s public health leaders who will be the driving force for change.

Public Health related concerns are some of the biggest challenges facing the world today, and the Department of Public Health at Canadian University Dubai works to address them. As a public health graduate, you will be able to play an important role in predicting and protecting the future of our planet and humankind. You will work at the forefront of the public health field as you study and serve local and global communities. A career in public health gives you the opportunity to contribute new knowledge, develop novel solutions and work with others to improve the health of people locally, nationally and internationally.

Our environment and health are pivotal to today’s world and its future sustainability; health is the focal point of humanity and without proper health systems, our existence would be at stake. Simultaneously, climate change due to global warming, pollution, the depletion of natural resources, infectious diseases, and lifestyle present serious issues that affect our long-term wellbeing. The Department of Public Health was established to provide insight and equip students with the skills required to implement the principles that they learn to real work problems and create solutions to these significant, global issues. Students learn public health by doing public health.

CUD’s Bachelor of Science in Public Health comes in line to the ‘We the UAE 2031’ which represents the governmental vision for the next decade. The vision was created to accelerate the nation’s growth in mainly in healthcare, sustainability, and other sectors. The BSc. in Public Health will contribute to the vision of positioning the UAE as one of the top 10 countries in the world for healthcare services and one of the global forces in the environmental agenda by graduating equipped students to fulfil this vision. 

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health with two concentrations Environmental Health Management and Health Administration are accredited by the UAE Ministry of Education – Higher Education Affairs, and deliver a well-balanced, comprehensive and student-centred education, combining academic and applied learning related to current and future public health concerns. As a graduate of the Department, you will have the knowledge and professional skills to meet the needs of the industry in the UAE and internationally, to help face the global health and environmental challenges of current and future generations. 

Students in Action

 
 

On the 20th of January 2023, students of the "Public health" department participated in an environmental activity organized by Ferrero Trading Lux S.A. as part of their corporate social responsibility towards green environment and sustainability. The students planted more than 30 Ghaf trees at the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture showing a valuable commitment in promoting life sustainability and protecting the UAE natural resources.

 

Marzhan Sagintayeva“When it comes to our planet, time is ticking and every second matters. This is one of the reasons I chose this major, however I truly love Environmental Science and believe it’s the right path for me, for many reasons. I have been introduced to so many courses, such as micro-biology and water and waste. The course focuses on all the different areas of ecology.”

“In the future, I see myself as a scientist in the field of ecology and the environment and potentially continue into medicine.”

 

“Environment and health come together hand in hand - this is because an environment has to be healthy for humans to stay healthy. It's a win-win situation between humans and nature. Healthy environment results in healthy humans which results in better crops and animal products.

I was drawn to ‘Public Health’ as a major because I am interested in human health and how that ties in with the environment. I feel that there are many ways to help solve these issues

‘Only One Earth’ to me means that there is no “planet B” so we have to focus on restoring what we already have and working on living a sustainable life and healthy environment free from pollution so that we can live a healthier life both mentally and physically.”

 

Abbas Kazem

Our Environmental Health student, shares his experience as the Senior Food Trade Hygiene Officer at Dubai Municipality

In the interview with Al Khaleej, Abbas talks about the whole process of food inspection, the rules that need to be followed and the precautionary measures he takes to keep his family safe

 

Dinara

I have always been interested in both the health and the business aspect of the health industry and I was pleased to discover that CUD offers this unique program. In many developing countries, there is a big shortage of trained personnel to manage the administration of healthcare institutes. After completing my degree from CUD I wish to go back to Azerbaijan and improve the health system in my country. With the expert guidance of my professors here at CUD, I am very confident of fulfilling my ambitions.

 

Mackline

I have been born and brought up in Dubai and chose to pursue my Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health Management here at CUD. The facilities here are fantastic and the staff are very warm and welcoming. I am extremely passionate about the environment and hence I chose this course as I see myself bringing about some positive changes to the earth so that we can live in a safer and healthier place.

 

Elizabeth

I was looking to study a health-related Bachelor degree and CUD was one of the few institutions in the UAE that offered a course like this. The program consists of a good blend of health, business and management-related subjects that makes the degree varied and interesting, while retaining a strong vocational focus. The opportunity to take elective courses allows you to specialize in your area of interest or retain a broad perspective, depending on your own priorities, and the flexible timing of the program is a great help in managing studying alongside family life. Covering all of the important practical aspects of management, applied in the context of health-related services, I think the program is a strong foundation for a career in hospital management or related roles.

 

Aisha

I chose Environmental Health Management because I have always wanted to make a difference in the world and help people in a unique way. As part of my degree, I had the chance to learn from some of the most qualified professors in the field and worked closely with students from different backgrounds and nationalities. I’d like to own my own business one day; one that emphasizes the importance of recycling and educates the community on the importance of waste management.

 

Nada Hashish

I was looking for a degree that was different from the conventional business courses, and this program offered me the opportunity to do something that would help me to make a difference in my future career. The program offers insights into a wide variety of environmental issues, from waste management to marine conservations.

All of the professors are extremely enthusiastic about the subject and make the learning process interactive and industry-relevant, through guest speakers and field trips that help us to understand how the academic theories are put into practice in the professional world. Outside the classroom, the University offers an excellent program of extracurricular activities that provides the perfect balance to academic life.

 

Abdulrahman Mohamed

The appeal of the Health Organization Management degree is that it combines both business-related and health-related subjects in one program, providing a good grounding in the operational and management considerations of running a business, while bringing in the science of healthcare-based systems.

This, combined with the experience of the professors, make for a very interesting blend of courses that offer different insights into hospitals and medical facilities management from a corporate perspective. The program has a highly vocational focus and I can already see that there will be many different career options open to me when I graduate.

 

Abdel

CUD has given me so much in many ways and, above all, a good education. I selected CUD because they have given me the opportunity to study my course of choice as well as other interesting majors. One more thing I love about CUD is that it is multi-cultural; we have different nationalities that interact with one another and share their experiences. I intend to go back to Somalia and work on improving the environmental and health situation there.

 

Sadin Ismail Al Falasi

Working in the waste management department at Dubai Municipality, I am responsible for all of the treatment systems and for supervising the companies operating in the field of waste treatment and material recovery. I was motivated to take the Environmental Health Management program to acquire the skills to support the development and sustainability of Dubai through my profession. CUD provided me with a unique and outstanding learning experience that taught me all the theories and principles to succeed in my career. It is one of the top tier universities, not only in Dubai, but across the region.

Faculty in Action

 

Dr. Ahmad Okasha, from the Department of Public Health participated in the 4th MENA Telehealth Conference that took place on March 7th-8th 2023 in Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, Dubai. The annual MENA Telehealth conference brings healthcare regulators, health funding authorities, payers, health insurance service providers, telemedicine service providers, CXOs healthcare organizations, healthcare professionals, eHealth technicians and academic institutions under one umbrella to present and discuss current trends, challenges, and possible telehealth solutions.

 

Dr. Sawsan AlMadhi, Adjunct Professor at the Department of Public Health moderated several discussions on leadership, AI, & wellness at the 6th International Multidisciplinary Breast Conference in Dubai. The scientific committee recognised her dedication to advancing knowledge and improving patient care with a well-deserved certificate of appreciation!

 

Dr. Wissam Ghach, a faculty member of Environmental Health Management at Canadian University Dubai represented the university at the on-site ‘Seminar II of the DIES ProGrant Program in Amman, Jordan’.

The program was organized by the University of Cologne, Germany, to train academic researchers in writing; and to review proposals for research grants – under the affiliation of the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), the German Academic Exchange Service.

 

The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health Management will equip you with the current tools and techniques to face the most challenging issues related to health organization and environmental health.

With a degree in this field, you will be a crucial asset to environmental and health employers, ministers and international organizations!

 

Dr. Ahmad Okasha from the CUD’s Department of Environmental Health Science was selected by EIAC to receive the first UAE national accreditation standards for healthcare providers training. Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC) was established pursuant to Law number (27) for the year 2015, issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, to become the governmental accreditation body of the Emirate of Dubai. EIAC recently has received endorsement from the International Society for Quality in Health Care External Evaluation Association (ISQua EEA) for its Accreditation Standard for Healthcare Providers. CUD is looking forward for continuing collaboration with EIAC to serve the healthcare community in the UAE.

 

Dr. Mohammed AlKhaldi Dr. Mohammed AlKhaldi leads CUD's students' participation in a panel discussion with environmental journalist Anna Turns, focusing on sustainability. The session was held in preparation for COP28, at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. COP28 is the 28th Conference of Parties session, a key decision-making body under the United Nations Framework Convention focusing on Climate Change, aiming to create strong climate messages.

During the panel discussion, the students were taught about the significance of diversity, the use of gamification in implementing solutions, and educating the public, which are crucial elements in tackling the climate crisis and achieving worldwide impact.

 

Dr. Ahmad Okasha participated in the 5th GCC eHealth Workforce Development Conference on the 2-3rd of November 2022 at Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai. The GCC Taskforce on Workforce Development in Digital Healthcare envisions a sustainable digital health ecosystem through a skilled and empowered local eHealth workforce. The conference brings health informatics experts from health authorities, health industry, and universities across the GCC region as well as global experts. Canadian University Dubai is a regular and active participant in the conference and specifically in the annual roundtable on the role of higher education. This year's theme was the Role of Higher Education in the eHealth Capacity Building

 

Congratulations to Dr. Sawsan Al Madhi, Assistant Professor – Faculty of Communication, Arts and Sciences, who has been featured in Arabian Business’s 2021 Women of Influence list!

“Among the most influential leaders in the UAE and the wider Arab region spearheading the movement for cancer prevention and control, Dr Sawsan Al Madhi is the driving force behind one of UAE’s largest civil society organisations, Friends Of Cancer Patients (FOCP)”

 

Dr. Mohammed Alkhaldi, Department of Public Health Assistant Professor was a keynote speaker at The Global Health Network Conference, “Enabling Health Research in Every Healthcare Setting”, on 24-25 November 2022, in Cape Town, South Africa. His research work was centred around " a vision for structured and impactful health research: from system analysis and understanding towards system strengthening of the health research systems in developing countries.

This research work aligns with the aim and scope of this global conference that focuses on sharing methods, skills, countries' experiences, and approaches in fostering health research in every disease, setting and community. The submitted research work was selected among more than 900 abstracts received from all parts of the world through a highly competitive process.

Research Activities

  • Chaiban, C., Maamari, O., Issa, S., & Kosremelli Asmar, M. (2023). The experience of ER nurses in Lebanese hospitals, during the Covid-19 outbreak: A qualitative study. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2022.304
  • Abu-Odah, H., Said, N. B., Nair, S. C., Allsop, M. J., Currow, D. C., Salah, M. S., . . . AlKhaldi, M. (2022). Identifying barriers and facilitators of translating research evidence into clinical practice: A systematic review of reviews. Health and Social Care in the Community, https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13898
  • Alalawi, S., Issa, S. T., Takshe, A. A., & ElBarazi, I. (2022). A Review of the Environmental Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United Arab Emirates. Environmental Challenges, 8, 100561. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envc.2022.100561
  • Chadli, L., Haq, F. M., Okasha, A., & Attou, R. (2022). Post-traumatic mental and physical consequences of frontline reporting in the MENA region. Open Public Health Journal, 15(1) http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/18749445-v15-e221209-2022-233
  • Ghach, W., Bakkar, M. M., Aridi, M., Beshtawi, I., Doughaily, R., & Al-Fayoumi, N. (2022). Prevalence and behavioral-based risk factors (eye cosmetic and tobacco use) of symptomatic dry eye disease in four middle eastern countries: Lebanon, syria, jordan, and palestine. Clinical Ophthalmology, 16, 3851-3860. doi:10.2147/OPTH.S385040
  • Jairoun, A. A., Al Hemyari, S. S., Abdulla, N. M., Shahwan, M., Jairoun, M., Godman, B., . . . Kurdi, A. (2022). Development and validation of a tool to improve community pharmacists’ surveillance role in the safe dispensing of herbal supplements. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 13 doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.916223
  • Jairoun, A. A., Al-Hemyari, S. S., Abdulla, N. M., El-Dahiyat, F., Shahwan, M., Hassan, N., . . . Jaber, A. A. S. (2022). Awareness and preparedness of human monkeypox outbreak among university student: Time to worry or one to ignore? Journal of Infection and Public Health, 15(10), 1065-1071. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiph.2022.08.015
  • Kamkar, F., Khawatmi, L., Arif, A., Hamed, H., Issa, S. T., Khatib, R. E., Takshe, A.A. & Karkain, R. M. (2022). Assessing climate change indicators in the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Global Warming, 26(3), 247-268. https://dx.doi.org/10.1504/IJGW.2022.121226
  • Najjar, S., Hafez, S., Al Basuoni, A., Obaid, H. A., Mughnnamin, I., Falana, H., . . . Alkhaldi, M. (2022). Stakeholders’ perception of the palestinian health workforce accreditation and regulation system: A focus on conceptualization, influencing factors and barriers, and the way forward. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(13) doi:10.3390/ijerph19138131
  • Nasser Eddine, N., Noisel, N., Dieme, D., Asmar, M. K., Issa, S. T., & Bouchard, M. (2022). Multi-matrix biomonitoring approach to assess exposure to metals and trace elements in the lebanese population and associations with drinking water consumption. Environmental Research, 214 doi:10.1016/j.envres.2022.113982
  • Okasha, A. A., Haq, F., Medhekar, A., & Yasin, N. (2022). Exploring the challenges for medical tourism in the united Arab Emirates during the covid-19 pandemic era: A stakeholder perspective. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-10-2022-0119
  • Poursheikhali, A., Alkhaldi, M., Dehnavieh, R., Haghdoost, A. A., Masoud, A., Noorihekmat, S., . . . Bamir, M. (2022). What the policy and stewardship landscape of a national health research system looks like in a developing country like iran: A qualitative study. Health Research Policy and Systems, 20(1) doi:10.1186/s12961-022-00905-3
  • Rashid, N. S. A., Chen, X. W., Mohamad Marzuki, M. F., Takshe, A. A., Okasha, A., Maarof, F., & Yunus, R. M. (2022). Development and Usability Assessment of a Mobile App (Demensia KITA) to Support Dementia Caregivers in Malaysia: A Study Protocol. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 11880. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191911880
  • Takshe, A. A., Hashi, Z., Mohammed, M., & Astari, A. (2022). Eco-anxiety: A Q method analysis towards eco-anxiety attitudes in the united arab emirates. Journal of Social Work Practice, doi:10.1080/02650533.2022.2137120
  • Takshe, A. A., Khatib, R. E., Contu, D., Shehaiber, S. N., & Alkaabi, M. (2022). UAE university students’ dietary practices and lifestyles at times of covid-19: A cross sectional study. Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science, 10(2), 647-656. https://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CRNFSJ.10.2.20
  • Takshe, A. A., Lovett, J. C., Stenner, P., Contu, D., & Weber, N. (2022). Prioritising climate change actions post COVID-19 amongst university students; a Q methodology perspective in the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Global Warming, 26(1), 120-139. https://dx.doi.org/10.1504/IJGW.2022.120071
  • Li, L., Shi, S., Miao, Z., Xu, J., Duan, X., Okasha, A., & Qeshta, M. H. (2021). Mathematical model under E-health context for diagnosis of head and neck space gram infection through CT imaging. Results in Physics, 26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rinp.2021.104362
  • Shen, H., Hu, Y., Liu, X., Jiang, Z., Ye, H., Takshe, A., & Al Dulaimi, S. H. K. (2021). Application of Machine Learning Risk Prediction Mathematical Model in the Diagnosis of Escherichia Coli Infection in Patients with Septic Shock by Cardiovascular Color Doppler Ultrasound. Results in Physics, 26, 104368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rinp.2021.104368
  • Wei, J., Zhu, R., Zhang, H., Li, P., Okasha, A., & Muttar, A. K. H. (2021). Application of PET/CT image under convolutional neural network model in postoperative pneumonia virus infection monitoring of patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Results in Physics, 26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rinp.2021.104385
  • Xu, P., Chen, B., Takshe, A., & Omar, K. M. (2021). Helicobacter Pylori Infection in Adult Obesity-related Nephropathy Patients Under the Partial Differential Network Mathematical Model-based Artificial Intelligence Health Data Monitoring. Results in Physics, 26, 104371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rinp.2021.104371
  • Zang, S., Zhang, Y., Xu, J., Du, Y., Issa, S., & Al Dulaimi, S. H. K. (2021). Postoperative drug-resistant bacteria infection in patients with acute stanford type A aortic dissection under two-fluid numerical simulation model. Results in Physics, 26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rinp.2021.104394
  • Zhang, W., Ma, A., Takshe, A., & Muwafak, B. M. (2021). Establishment of differential model of recovery treatment for children with minor brain injury and mental disorder syndrome. Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering, 18(5), 5614-5624. https://doi.org/10.3934/mbe.2021283
  • Okasha, A. (2019). Resource partitioning and hospital specialization. Journal of Health Management, 21(3), 337–350. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972063419868543