American University of Beirut

​​Department faculty serve the community in different settings, and this is an integral part of their professional role and duty as pediatricians. In collaboration with other professionals, organizations, and parents they work to achieve accessibility to proper services for all children and to advocate for those who lack access to care because of social, cultural, geographic, or economic conditions or special health care needs. 

Awareness Raising 

• Our pediatricians continue to advocate for children and raise awareness on their health and well-being within their environment. COVID-19 as emerging pandemic was the topic discussed on social media and TV channels by several of our faculty in addition to other childhood health concerns.
  

• To observe World Sickle Cell Awareness Day, the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) in collaboration with the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA) and the Sickle Cell Support Fund at AUB shed light on the disease through a virtual community gathering on the night of June 19, 2020 at 8:00 pm. The event was live streamed on all AUBMC social media outlets and AnNahar. Shine a Light on Sickle Cell Disease

• Dr Ghassan Dbaibo, Director of The Center of Infectious Disease Research in a talk about children with Primary Immune Deficiencies PID-Dr Ghassan Dbaibo
  

• Dr Khalid Yunis leading the project to raise awareness on preconception care in Lebanon among adolescent females, in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health and the CDC.
  

• Dr Nadine Yazbeck is founding member of INCLUDE a non-governmental organization that works on the inclusion of children with special needs in schools and the workforce. INCLUDE ​
  

• Awareness campaign against stray bullets accidents: a country wide initiative led by Dr Rana Sharara Chami  tEDeX Talk Dr Rana Sharara Chami
• Dr Marianne Majdalani active member of the National Committee against child abuse and the Union pour la Protection de l'Enfance au Liban (UPEL). UPEL
  

Community Outreach​

Fund Raising

Fundraising helps cover medical costs of many childhood diseases for treatment at AUBMC. Several activities were held in support of our programs and under the leadership of faculty members. These include: The Brave Heart Fund, The CCCL fund, The Neonate Fund, The OpenMinds Fund, The Sickle Cell Disease Fund, The Inherited Metabolic Diseases Fund, the kidney fund, and the Primary Immune Deficiency Fund.

Brave Heart Fund: The Brave Heart Fund (www.braveheartfund.org) was established by volunteers in November 2003 at the Children’s Heart Center. The Brave Heart Fund helps cover the cost of hospital treatment and surgeries for children whose families qualify for financial aid following a thorough assessment by the AUBMC Social Services Office, irrespective of their race, gender, or religion. As of 2016, the Brave Heart Fund has raised millions of dollars to treat and save the lives of 3000 cases of CHD. About eighty percent of the children with CHD who were treated at AUBMC were partially or totally financially supported by the Brave Heart Fund. Read More

The Children’s Cancer Center of Lebanon (CCCL) is a regional center pioneering in the treatment of kids with cancer totally for free, at no costs to their parents. Totally depending on donations, CCCL has treated more than 1,550 patients since 2002. Read More

The Sickle Cell Needy Patients Fund covers the comprehensive care provided for the needy sickle cell patients who visit the clinic. It has served more than 500 patients with sickle cell disease on outpatient or inpatient basis since its establishment in 2012. The comprehensive care includes regular follow-up for physical assessment, counseling, blood tests, imaging and adequate treatment.

OpenMinds Fund, a fund that was established in 2012 by concerned parents to support and enable the Special Kids Clinic to accomplish its mission in its entirety and help patients in need. OpenMinds fund supports the care of children with autism and special needs. It also supports School Assistance and Special Needs Programs. Read More

Neonate Fund: Was launched in December 2011 with the initiative and support of mothers who have been through the experience of having their premature newborns cared for in our NICU. To date, we have been able to raise a total of almost 4 million US dollars in addition to raising awareness on prematurity through campaigns. In 2012 the American University of Beirut Medical center was recognized for this participation of the Neonate Fund in worldwide activities on world Prematurity day on November 17, 2012. This activity was organized by the World Health Organization, Save the Children, the March of Dimes Foundation, and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health. Read More

Primary Immune Deficiencies Fund, the iFight PID Fund, is a volunteer initiative that benefits children diagnosed with primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID). In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the department launched this fund in April 2017 which will help underprivileged children to have equal opportunity to be cured from PID. In addition to the financial support, the fund aims at raising awareness among medical institutions, physicians, and parents as well as supporting advanced research related to the disorder. ​Read More

Syrian Fund: provides funds for the care of Syrian refugees children treated at AUBMC, primarily for outpatient care.

The Ouidad Hachem Foundation and the Agnes Varies Fund are supporting the Department of Pediatrics to establish The Neonatal Intensive Care Extended (NICE) Follow-Up Clinic. The objectives of The Neonatal Intensive Care Extended Follow-Up Clinic are to offer guidance for early intervention measures in order to enhance early development, and to help preterm infants reach their growth and developmental potentials. The Neonatal Intensive Care Extended Follow-Up Clinic will allow us to provide a comprehensive multidisciplinary follow up for NICU graduates and assess their neurodevelopmental, cognitive and behavioral outcomes.