Dr Maha El-Adawy (Egypt) was appointed Director, Division of Health Protection and Promotion, 17 July 2016. 

Dr El-Adawy formerly worked as the Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in the Islamic Republic of Iran from August 2015 until July 2015. She also held the position of Programme and Technical Regional Advisor, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights in UNFPA Regional Office in Cairo, Egypt from January 2009 to August 2015.

Dr El-Adawy was the Policy Adviser for Health at the United Nations Development programme office in New York, United States of America, from June 2007 to December 2008. Prior to this post, Dr El-Adawy was the Senior Regional Reproductive Health and Reproductive Rights Program Officer at the Ford Foundation, New York, USA, from March 2000 until June 2007. She held other senior health positions at the European Commission Delegation in Cairo, Egypt as well as at Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston, USA. 

Dr El-Adawy holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt. She also holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from Cairo University, Egypt. Dr El-Adawy holds a Master’s degree of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health from Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USA, as well as a Doctorate degree of Public Health from Cairo University, Egypt. She also holds the Eisenhower fellowship for leadership development from the Eisenhower Fellowship program, Philadelphia, USA.