Imperial WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Education and Training

23/02/2026

Breaking the Silence: The Reality of Menopause Care in Arab Countries 🌍👩‍⚕️

Another new systematic review, "Utilisation of hormone replacement therapy in Arab countries: a systematic review," has been published in Frontiers in Global Women’s Health.

Menopause is a major health transition, yet for many women in the Arab region, it remains a topic shrouded in silence and misconception. Our research highlights the urgent need to support informed decision-making regarding Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and women's quality of life.

🔬 Methodology Adhering to PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we conducted a rigorous systematic review of 15 cross-sectional studies across the , , , , , , and to synthesise the determinants of HRT uptake.

📊 Our analysis revealed a critical gap in care and knowledge across these diverse settings:
• Low Utilisation: HRT uptake is predominantly low, with 11 studies reporting utilisation rates below 20%, ranging from 0% in parts of Egypt to 48% in specific cohorts in the UAE.
• The Knowledge Gap: We found that knowledge of menopause management is generally poor (

BackgroundMenopause is a major transition in women's health and may be associated with vasomotor symptoms and increased risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascul...

20/02/2026

The Winter Clinical Medicine and Public Health Short Programmes at our Centre ran for two weeks, and what a success they were! 🎉

These short programmes involve evidence-based sessions about public health foundations, research methods, health systems, case studies, interactive group activities, debates, and much more.

Some feedback from the students 👩‍🎓:
- “The course is very informative and well-organized. I have learned a lot from it and really enjoyed the content”
- “I’m very satisfied with the course. The content is rich and practical, the arrangement is reasonable, and I have gained a lot from it.”
- “It's perfect and easy understanding for clinical students, either the slides or the graph that the teacher explained.”
- “The instructor is very responsible and helpful. She explained the content clearly and are always willing to answer questions. I have learned a lot from this course and really appreciate her guidance.”

We want to thank our interns and the DCN group for helping us organise these sessions. Look out for future courses and the summer short programmes that we will post about soon! ☀️

What topics would you like us to deliver?

19/02/2026

We are delighted to share another systematic review, "Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer screening in Europe: A systematic review of disruptions, barriers, and policy responses," has been published in Cancer Treatment and Research Communications.

Cancer screening is a cornerstone of cancer control, but the pandemic caused unprecedented disruption to these preventive services.

🔍 Our review provides a cross-regional synthesis across 18 European countries, examining breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening.

📊 The study was conducted strictly following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, and the protocol was pre-registered with PROSPERO to ensure transparency and reproducibility. We screened over 1,200 records across six major databases and grey literature sources to capture the full landscape of European data.

💡 Our analysis revealed profound consequences for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening programmes:
• Massive Drops in Participation 😪: At the peak of the pandemic, screening participation fell by 30–60%. Breast cancer screening was the most severely affected, with some regions seeing drops of over 60% during lockdowns.
• The "Stage Migration" Effect: The disruption has led to measurable delays in diagnosis. We found evidence of stage migration, where cancers are detected at later, harder-to-treat stages, which is projected to increase long-term mortality rates for breast and colorectal cancers. 📉
• Widening Inequalities: The pandemic did not affect everyone equally ⚖️. We observed that pre-existing inequalities worsened, with sharper declines in screening among low-income populations and those living in rural areas.

• Resilience Through Innovation: It wasn't all bad news 🫰. Countries that utilised digital health systems and self-sampling (e.g., home HPV kits) recovered more quickly, demonstrating that these innovations are essential to future health system resilience.

We would like to thank the School of Public Health at Imperial College London and our MPH students, Zeyu Wang and Bohua Ren.

📖 Read the full open-access paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctarc.2026.101115

17/02/2026

In the Hot Seat with Prof Zacharoula Sidiropoulou: Cervical Cancer Elimination

The Guardian reported a target to protect 86 million girls against cervical cancer by the end of 2025 was achieved ahead of schedule 🎯 raising hopes that cervical cancer can be eliminated within the next century 🔗 In our first 'In the Hot Seat Interview' of 2026🔥our expert Prof Zacharoula Sidiropoulou, Senior Consultant Oncologist and WHOCC collaborator, discusses whether this elimination is truly feasible or if it is a headline rather than a deliverable outcome....

The Guardian reported a target to protect 86 million girls against cervical cancer by the end of 2025 was achieved ahead of schedule 🎯 raising hopes that cervical cancer can be eliminated within th…

17/02/2026

9–15 February 2026 | Children’s Mental Health Week 🧒👦👧💚

Loneliness and social disconnection are growing public health concerns, particularly for young people (World Health Organization Health Organization, 2025) 🌍📊 If loneliness is the problem, could belonging be part of the answer?

Belonging is more than fitting in 🤝 As Brené Brown reminds us, it means being truly ourselves 💬✨ Research shows it is a fundamental human need , essential not only for mental wellbeing but for physical health too 🧠💪

We asked children what belonging means to them, visiting their “places”🐴🩰 The Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre and The Rose School of Ballet. Across ages, one message stood out: belonging is less about the place and more about the people: friendship 👯, community 🏘️, shared purpose 🎯, and feeling accepted as you are 💞

Building belonging is not abstract. It starts with relationships 🤍

Share in the comments what does belonging look like in your community? 💛👇

🎥 Watch the full interviews with children from The Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre and The Rose School of Ballet on the Imperial College London WHOCC YouTube channel:

🔗 https://lnkd.in/eh_GranA

📖 For more information about Children’s Mental Health, read our blog:

🔗 https://lnkd.in/e2qVW3FX

🌍 Or explore the World Health Organisation's Commission on Social Connection report:

Loneliness to social connection: charting a path to healthier societies (30.06.2025)

🔗 https://lnkd.in/e5m-_hvR

🎤 Interview conducted by: Ela Augustyniak, WHOCC Educational Projects Manager

🎬 Video filming by: Alexandra Odametey, WHOCC Intern and Imperial MPH Student

✂️ Video editing by: Kendall McBride & Shazbah Ahmed, WHOCC Interns and Imperial MPH Students

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

17/02/2026

The Silent Epidemic 🌍🩺

We are pleased to share that our latest systematic review, "Chronic kidney disease in hypertensive patients: the urgent need for targeted interventions in Arab countries," has been published in Frontiers in Nephrology.

With Chronic Kidney Disease ( ) projected to be the 5th leading cause of years of life lost globally by 2040, understanding its relationship with hypertension (HTN) in our region is critical.

🔬 Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines and a PROSPERO-registered protocol, we conducted a rigorous systematic review of studies across the Arab region, including , the , , , , and , to evaluate the prevalence and management gaps of CKD among hypertensive populations.

📊 A Call for Early Detection!! Our synthesis of the evidence reveals a concerning landscape of undiagnosed disease and missed opportunities for prevention:
• The "Silent" Burden: A staggering proportion of CKD cases remain unrecognised; studies in the UAE and Jordan found that 31% to 38.8% of patients had undiagnosed CKD.
• The association is undeniable; in Iraq, over 75% of CKD patients were found to be hypertensive, yet blood pressure control remains suboptimal, with fewer than 40% of patients achieving target levels in some cohorts.
• We identified a critical gap in screening quality; while physicians check eGFR, albuminuria testing is frequently overlooked. In one Jordanian study, 92% of high-risk participants had not undergone an albumin test, leading to significant underdiagnosis.
• In Saudi Arabia, studies indicated that nearly 47% of hypertensive patients had CKD, with a significant portion already in stages 3–5.

💡 Why This Matters for the Region: The Arab region is facing a rapid epidemiological transition with rising rates of and . Our findings underscore that we cannot rely on eGFR alone.
To build resilient health systems in Arab countries, we must integrate combined eGFR and albuminuria testing into primary care routine screening for all hypertensive patients.

Strengthening primary care capacity to detect CKD early is the only way to prevent progression to end-stage renal disease.

A special thank you to co-authors Fakhria Alrashdi, Zeenah Atwan, Celine Tabche, Nasrin Al Zadjali, Samiya AL-Khaldi‬‏, Hamed Al-Qanubi and Prof. Salman Rawaf for this important collaboration and the School of Public Health at Imperial College London.

📖 Read the full open-access paper here: https://doi.org/10.3389/fneph.2026.1735217

BackgroundChronic kidney disease (CKD) is expected to be the 5th leading cause of years of life lost by 2040. Recently, it emerged as a significant cause of ...

05/02/2026

February 04 is World Cancer Day 🧡

This year’s theme is “United by Unique,” recognising the need for people-centred care that acknowledges each individual’s unique experience of the disease 👁️‍🗨️

Hear from Professor Zacharoula Sidiropoulou, Senior Consultant Surgical Oncologist and WHOCC Collaborator, about how this holistic approach can be applied in practice and considered within broader health systems 👩‍⚕️

Full interview can be seen on the Imperial WHOCC YouTube channel 🔗 https://youtu.be/EGlPdAWDeMI

Questions explored include:

💬 What does people-centred cancer care mean?
🧩 What non-medical factors should be considered during cancer care?
🔄 How can healthcare providers working across the care pathway (from prevention to diagnosis, treatment, palliative care, and survivorship) apply this approach in practice?
⚠️ What challenges do health systems face in being able to carry out people-centred care and how can they be addressed?
⚖️ How can people-centred cancer care be more equitable and accessible?
🎓 And from the point of view of a professor working with the next generation of doctors, what is needed to best support them and encourage this type of care as the new standard?

For more information about the campaign visit the World Cancer Day website 🔗 https://www.worldcancerday.org/

Interview conducted and edited by Kendall McBride, WHOCC Intern and Imperial College London MPH Student

04/02/2026

World Cancer Day 2026

February 04 is World Cancer Day 🧡 This year’s theme is “United by Unique,” recognising the need for people-centred care that acknowledges each individual’s unique experience of the disease 👁️‍🗨️ Hear from Professor Zacharoula Sidiropoulou, Senior Consultant Surgical Oncologist and WHOCC Collaborator, about how this holistic approach can be applied in practice and considered within broader health systems 👩‍⚕️ ...

09/01/2026

World Aids Day 2025

Following the display of the entire UK AIDS Memorial Quilt at the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall earlier this year, Imperial College London’s School of Public Health hosted several of the panels to mark World AIDS Day 2025. The exhibition, accompanied by a public talk by AIDS Quilt UK Volunteer Paul Meadows, highlighted individual stories and reinforced the continuing relevance of HIV awareness and efforts to reduce stigma. ...

01/01/2026

Last Day of WHOCC Wrapped; Welcoming the New Year.

In 2025, our Postgraduate Fellowship and Internship Programmes continued to support early career professionals in developing their expertise across key public health areas, including epidemiology, health systems, environmental health, and pandemic preparedness. Through hands-on experience, structured mentorship, and collaboration, our fellows and interns contributed meaningfully to the work of the WHO Collaborating Centre while advancing their own professional growth and career development.

We look forward to reflecting on the Year 2026 and all the achievements we will make!

Post by: Shazbah Ahmed, Kendall McBride

31/12/2025

Day 4 of WHOCC Wrapped 🎁

Health Awareness Days:
Throughout the year, we campaigned for various health awareness days, weeks and months. These were significant for education as well as tackling stigmas and misinformation around public health challenges.

A few examples of our involvement in 2025 include:

In November, we put the spotlight on cancer awareness through the ‘Movember’ campaign. Partnering with Students for Global Health to produce 4 campaigns on stomach, prostate, lung and pancreatic cancers.
Each campaign highlighted the epidemiology, mortality and future progression of disease outcomes.

There were also interviews with experts:
• Lung Cancer- Dr. Marco Pantarotto
• Stomach cancer – Dr. Vasco Fonseca
• Pancreatic cancer - Prof Zacharoula Sidiropoulou
• Prostate Cancer – Dr Sunil Kumar FCAI FRSA FBSLM MAcadMEd Dip IBLM/BSLM

- World Breastfeeding Week in August
This campaign hosted webinars and panel discussions that centred the voices of mothers and leading experts to address the myths and misconceptions about breastfeeding.

A few of the panellists were:
• Dr. Robert Boyle, (Clinical researcher and consultant paediatric allergist),
• Dr. Anika Misra (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) and
• Ms Yvonne Insh (Lactation Consultant)
In The Hot Seat

In The series was a new addition this year where we received insights from expert collaborators. This was a chance to address topical public and global health headlines to break down misconceptions and provide reliable information.

You can access the full videos on our YouTube or Instagram Pages

Series in Collaboration with the SFGH:
The careers in public health series were another new initiative in 2025 that provided a comprehensive guide into the careers of various public health professionals.

Each conversation brought unique stories on how they got into their chosen roles, challenges faced and how they overcame them along the way.

Post by Alexandra Odametey

30/12/2025

Day 3 of WHOCC Wrapped 🎁

Ranging from interactive workshops with medical professionals to summer programmes for visiting students, the Centre continued to prioritise education and training in 2025. Here are a few of the highlights:

Professor Salman Rawaf had the opportunity to speak at several international conferences and seminars. He presented on topics such as “Patient mistrust of the healthcare system and physicians: Can primary care change this?” and “Health Ageing Starts at Birth: The Role of Primary Care.”

Back in London, we hosted another cohort of undergraduate students as part of our Public Health Summer Programme. And we delivered our annual Advanced and Health Management training ( applications open soon!! 🚨)

We also continued with our Lady Amalia Flemming Lecture series and had the honour of welcoming Melissa Holloway, CEO of SmartStart Health, and Dr. Mariaam Sbaiti, Senior Teaching Fellow in Global Health. Stay tuned for the next sessions in 2026!

A primary goal for the year was also to find ways to ensure that education is designed for application to clinical practice. Therefore, we launched a new short course, targeting healthcare professionals interested in preventative care, and ran leadership and innovation training in both the UK and . Conversations focused on effective change management, communication, and technology integration.

Find out more about our educational work on our website and be sure to follow along for updates about new offerings in 2026!

Post by Kendall McBride