Dr. Sameh El-Saharty

Dr. Sameh El-Saharty is the Program Leader for Human Development responsible for the World Bank’s advisory services in health, education, social protection and labor in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Since he joined the World Bank in 1998, he has been responsible for leading the policy dialog and strategy development as well as preparing and managing programs and projects amounting to about $3 billion in more than 25 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the United States. His work has recently focused on accelerating human capital formation in the GCC with focus on health, education and skills development. Previously, his work has been focusing on health reform, health finance, service delivery, non-communicable diseases, and implementation science.

Before joining the Bank, he held several positions with WHO, USAID, UNFPA, Harvard University, and Pathfinder International. He also held the position of Assistant Professor at Georgetown University in the U.S.    He has more than 30 publications including journal articles, books, book chapters, analytical reports and policy briefs. He is a Medical Doctor with a Masters degree in International Health Policy and Management from Harvard University.