Margaret Hanaki

A Lebanese physician who pioneered modern public health initiatives across the Middle East during the mid-20th century.

Margaret Hanaki (1908–1978) was a trailblazing physician from Beirut who transformed healthcare in the Arab world. After graduating from the American University of Beirut in 1932, she noticed the lack of vaccination programs in rural areas. In 1941, she launched the Health for All Campaign, establishing mobile clinics that vaccinated over 500,000 children against smallpox and polio by 1950. Her 1948 report 'Building Healthy Communities' became the blueprint for WHO's later vaccination strategies. Hanaki faced resistance from traditional healers but persisted, training local midwives and establishing the first maternal healthcare center in Syria in 1955. Her work reduced infant mortality rates by 40% in Lebanon by 1960. The Margaret Hanaki Health Foundation continues her mission, recently expanding to provide HIV/AIDS education in North Africa. Her autobiography, Medicine Without Borders, details her challenges and innovations. Hanaki's legacy is celebrated annually on World Public Health Day, a testament to her global impact.