September theme: Applied Public Health
PROTECT (Prevention and Response for Outbreaks, Threats, and Emergencies through Capacitation and Training) is a CDC-funded UCSF-led global health security project implemented from 2021–2026, focused on strengthening countries’ capacity to detect, assess, and respond to public health threats through stronger surveillance systems, digital tools, and public health intelligence. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), PROTECT works closely with Ministries of Health and regional partners to advance event-based surveillance, health information systems, and data-driven decision-making. This Global Spotlight will explore the MENA experience through perspectives from health informatics program leaders, regional software developers, and Ministry of Health representatives from Egypt and Jordan, with a focus on how locally adapted digital innovations and stronger surveillance systems can improve early warning, information sharing, and public health preparedness.
Speakers
- Ahmed Abouzaid, BS in Computer Engineering, is a Senior Software Engineer at UCSF. He builds and strengthens health information systems that support public health programs and enable data-driven decision-making.
- Mohammed Abu Meshref, with a degree in Information Technology, is a Software Developer based in Amman, Jordan. He focuses on building health related solutions and is passionate about productivity, helping others, and creating digital products that make a difference.
- Farah Massoud, MPH, is a MENA Program Manager at UCSF IGHS where she leads regional initiatives to strengthen disease surveillance, epidemic intelligence, and public health emergency preparedness across the Middle East and North Africa. Her work focuses on cross-border disease surveillance, digital surveillance systems, event-based surveillance, and data-driven decision-making, in close collaboration with key national and international stakeholders, including Ministries of Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and regional public health partners.
- David Mugume, BSc in Health Information Systems (HIS), has extensive experience designing, implementing, and managing HIS solutions and teams in the public health sector. As Deputy Technical Director for Global Health Informatics, he supports the development of data and analytics systems, interoperability efforts, and Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems across multiple countries. With over eight years in public health and 14 years in software engineering, he has successfully led HIS initiatives in the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Mugume is also currently completing a Master’s degree in International Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University.
Additional guest speakers to be announced.
Facilitator
mike Reid, MD, MPH, MA, is a faculty member at UCSF IGHS, where his work focuses on global health policy, sustainability, and the transition toward more country-led, integrated systems of care. He is also a practicing HIV clinician at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. He co-leads the new Center for Applied Public Health (CAPH) at UCSF IGHS. From 2023 to 2026, Reid served as Chief Science Officer for the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State. In this role, he led PEPFAR’s scientific agenda and helped shape global health policy at the intersection of HIV, health systems, and emerging technologies. Earlier in his career, Reid led the secretariat for the Lancet Commission on Tuberculosis and directed multiple PEPFAR-supported programs in partnership with academic institutions across sub-Saharan Africa, focused on strengthening HIV service delivery and health system performance. He currently serves as Chair of the Lancet Global Health Commission on HIV and AI, where he is helping to define a forward-looking agenda at the intersection of technology, equity, and global health systems. He holds medical degrees from the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, and an MPH from the University of California, Berkeley.
Read related blog pieces by Farah Massoud:
- Strengthening Early Warning Systems: Rebuilding Egypt’s Event-Based Surveillance System, April 2026
- Strengthening Jordan’s Integrated Electronic Reporting System, June 2026
Series Goals
The Global Partner Spotlight series through the UCSF Institute for Global Health Science (IGHS) Connect program highlights the work of partners around the world. The sessions provide a window into the priorities, challenges, and innovations of our collaborators in-country.
For questions, please contact: IGHSConnect@ucsf.edu