Aliaa Ahmed

Fellow Aliaa Ahmed (Egypt, 2022) recently made history as the first Egyptian to address the Down Syndrome Conference on World Down Syndrome Day hosted by the United Nations in New York March 21 to 22. Representing the Egyptian Down Syndrome Foundation, Aliaa presented the results of her master’s thesis on health justice and equality, with a focus on the role of healthcare providers in implementing mental health support and health justice for individuals with intellectual disabilities. She also proposed a model tailored to developing countries, as opposed to the method of adopting models from advanced nations that may not suit the circumstances of all nations. Aliaa graduated from Tanta University’s College of Pharmacy and currently holds the position of Senior Manager of Program Strategies at Egyptian Food Bank Labs. She is also an adjunct lecturer at the American University in Cairo. Her advocacy is rooted in her personal experience as the mother of a daughter born with Down syndrome, to whom she refers to as “Sophie the Spark.” Aliaa developed the first national awareness campaign for individuals with Down syndrome, elevating understanding and awareness of the chromosomal anomaly through events such as marathons and conferences attended by influential figures, artists and media outlets. Aliaa has worked tirelessly at “preparing the world to embrace her [daughter] as she deserves,” she says. “Through our findings, we aim to empower the often-silenced voices in healthcare ​