Celebrating Inclusive Health Across the MENA Region

A group of 21 people pose for a photo situated between two black tables and in front of three red and while Special Olympics Health banners. There are two rows of people, with the front row sitting and the back row standing. In the middle of the front row, two women hold a sign reading “#InclusiveHealth.” — Participants in the Special Olympics Healthy Communities MENA Annual Meeting gather to celebrate an inspiring week of discussions and demonstrations on inclusive health.

The week of 4-10 November marked a celebration of Special Olympics Health across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Special Olympics Health leaders, along with a representative from the Golisano Foundation, came together for a week filled with meetings, events, and health programming that both showcased and accelerated Special Olympics’ efforts within the region.

The week began with the arrival of Special Olympics Chief Health Officer, Dr. Dimitri Christakis, Chief of Health Operations, Annemarie Hill, and Director of Community Health Programs, Onolee Stephan, alongside Golisano Foundation Executive Director, Erica Dayton. With the warm welcome from Special Olympics MENA, they spent the week observing the mission of Special Olympics in action and meeting with regional leaders, clinicians, and athletes.

Site visits such as these highlight the importance of a holistic, collaborative, and thoughtful approach to inclusive health, engaging academic partners, civil society, families, healthcare workers, and community groups. Dr. Christakis was particularly impressed by the commitment to ensuring that athletes in the region receive appropriate care, reflecting, “The dedication of academic partners—both clinicians and institutions—to provide state-of-the-art care for our athletes after they are referred from Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® screenings was inspirational and serves as a model for the region, if not the world.”

Four Healthy Athletes Volunteers in purple vests gather around a table, taking notes. Behind them Dimiri Christakis stands and looks on smiling. — Special Olympics Chief Health Officer, Dr. Dimitri Christakis observes Healthy Athletes volunteers in action at the Moulay Youssef Hospital where 100 athletes received screenings across 6 disciplines.

The commitment of staff and volunteers was echoed by Erica Dayton, who shared, “All Special Olympics programs, including those focused on health, share a common driving force: the dedication of staff and volunteers to create inclusive opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. During my visit to the MENA region, this commitment to access, excellence, and equity was evident. I look forward to continuing to follow the MENA region’s efforts to enhance inclusive health through various programs and partnerships.”

Dozens of people are standing throughout a gym. In the foreground, there are adolescent athletes in teal and white t-shirts who are stretching out their arms. Slightly behind the athletes, a woman in a white shirt and black skirt looks on smiling and behind her, a man with a blue jacket smiles and stretches his arms as well.

Erica Dayton and Dr. Christakis participate in a fitness demonstration alongside athletes at the Maadi Olympic Venue.

Gathered around a table, a young girl with an orange shirt sits, looking across the table and smiling at a woman with a gray sweatshirt who has paperwork placed front of her. Two other women with head scarves look down at the young girl, smiling.

A Special Olympics Egypt athlete participates in a Healthy Young Athletes screening.

A woman wearing a tan head scarf and jacket stands at a red podium with a sign that reads “Inclusive Health.” She points up at a red and while projection screen which includes statistics on disability prevalence in UAE.

A representative from Special Olympics United Arab Emirates shares information on disability statistics in UAE during a Healthy Communities presentation.

Two male athletes with red shirts sit in a line at a table. In the middle of them, a woman in a red shirt stands and leans on the table while speaking into a microphone. In the background, three individuals stand and listen. In the back right corner, a standing red and white Special Olympics banner reads “Health Messenger.”

A Special Olympics Morocco Health Messenger shares her story during the Special Olympics Healthy Communities MENA Annual Meeting.

Three individuals stand in front of a red backdrop that has writing in English and Arabic. On the left, a woman holds a pillow with medals draped on it. A man in a black and white striped track suit leans over as a woman places a medal around his neck.

Annemarie Hill presents a medal to an athlete while attending the 21^st Special Olympics Futsal Throne Cup in Rabat, Morocco.

While there were countless health highlights from the week, some key moments include:

A recognition ceremony honoring over 35 partner organizations and doctors for their dedication to Special Olympics, supported by Egypt’s Ministry of Sports & Youth and the Ministry of Solidarity.
A Family Health Forum that provided a space for local families and caregivers to discuss and address the health needs of loved ones with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Healthy Young Athletes screenings and a fitness demonstration showcasing inclusive health practices and the importance of preventive care.
A visit to Dar Al Oyoun Hospital to learn more about the Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Foundation Opening Eyes® programas well as a visit to Cairo University’s Dentistry division where follow up care to referrals from Special Olympics Special Smiles takes place. 
Participation in Special Olympics Healthy Communities workshops at the International University of Rabat, alongside representatives from SO Morocco, SO Kuwait, SO Jordan, SO Oman, and SO Tunisia, as well as Healthy Communities presentations from SO Algeria, SO UAE, SO Lebanon, SO Saudi Arabia, SO Mauritania, SO Egypt, and SO Bahrain.
Discussions with regional Health Messengers and recipients of local Golisano Health Leadership Awards in Morocco.
The signing of two Memoranda of Understanding by SO Morocco with Moulay Youssef Hospital and the International University of Rabat, solidifying a commitment to expanding inclusive health practices within these institutions.

In many ways, the MENA site visit celebrated over a decade of exciting inclusive health work. However, they also highlighted the persistent health disparities faced by individuals with IDD in the region and how Special Olympics is helping to close these gaps.

Speaking to a reporter from Nile TV, Annemarie Hill shared, “We want to ensure that we expand the services that we offer. We know that there are a lot more people with intellectual disabilities across Egypt who right now are struggling to get the health care that they need, so we really want to show that we can expand not just to our Special Olympics athletes, not just to Cairo… but really ensuring that this level of health care is available to everyone with an intellectual disability, every day of the year, wherever they are—because that’s what healthcare means.”

Celebrating Inclusive Health Across the MENA Region

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