On Tuesday, March 26, 2019, the Department of Experimental Pathology, Immunology and Microbiology (EPIM) and the Center for Infectious Diseases Research (CIDR) at the American University of Beirut Faculty of Medicine (AUB-FM) were designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a WHO Collaborating Center (WHO CC) for Reference and Research on Bacterial Pathogens.
The announcement was made by Dr. Ghassan Matar, Chairperson of EPIM, Associate and Laboratory Director of CIDR and Director of the newly instituted WHOCC at a ceremony held at AUB for the occasion.
Dr. Matar extended his welcome to officials from WHO, the Ministry of Public Health, as well as officials from AUB and other Lebanese universities attending the ceremony. Moreover, he explained that this designation stemmed from a long track of collaborative efforts of the team at EPIM and CDIR with WHO.
Dr. Ghassan Dbaibo, the Director of CIDR, then highlighted the accomplishments and current ongoing projects of EPIM and CIDR members as well as the infrastructure supporting the WHOCC at AUB-FM. Subsequently, Dr. Alysar Rady on behalf of Dr. Iman Shankiti, the WHO representative for Lebanon, relayed the relevance of having such a center in the Middle East, a region that is lacking in the number of WHOCCs and reference centers that serve as necessary resources of expertise in health-related domains.
In his word, Dr. Ghazi Zaatari, the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, representing EVP/ Dean Mohammad Sayegh, stressed the significance of establishing the WHOCC at AUBFM and its potential in leading the fight against the global threat of antimicrobial resistance among other risks posed by microbial pathogens.
The ceremony was concluded by a word from Dr. Walid Ammar, the Director General of the Ministry of Public Health in Lebanon, who indicated that Lebanon, as well as the region, are in pertinent need of a resource such as the newly established WHOCC.
The ceremony was followed by a tour of the laboratories of the WHOCC, unveiling of the designation plaque, and a reception.