FHS and regional partnership to publish a book on public health through Cambridge University Press

Beirut, August 2008.  Researchers from FHS and the sister Institute of Community and Public Health (ICPH) at Birzeit University in Palestine, have signed a contract with Cambridge University Press to publish a book titled “Public health in the Arab world”. The large volume, expected to exceed 500 pages, will be edited by Dean Iman Nuwayhid, Professor Marwan Khawaja, and Dr. Samer Jabbour from FHS and Professor Rita Giacaman from ICPH with contributions from authors in different Arab countries, Europe and North America.

In July 2008, FHS hosted a meeting that brought together editors and authors from different countries in the Arab world to discuss plans for the book and move the project forward.  A second meeting is planned for January 2009.  An AUB-hosted book website will be launched in the fall of 2008 to introduce visitors to the project and facilitate communication among the more than 75 contributors to the project.

“This is a collective project.”, says Jabbour, the project coordinator, “We hope that the book, once published, will be a useful tool for public health researchers, students and practitioners and will serve to increase awareness of public health issues in the Arab world.”  Although there are many scholarly articles and monographs on public health in the region, the scope of the book makes it the first of its kind in the region.  The publication by Cambridge, expected in early 2010, will increase the international profile and distribution of the book. The book project receives the generous support of the Ford Foundation.