Zahira Abdin

Zahira Hafez Abdin (Arabic: زهيرة حافظ عابدين), (1917-2002) was an Egyptian paediatrician and specialist in rheumatic heart disease.^[1]

Life[]

Zahira Abdin was born on 15 June 1917 in Cairo She was a daughter of Hafez Hussein Abdin, a lawyer,^[1] who also became a member of parliament.^[2] She went to Heliopolis Primary School and the .^[1] In 1936 she secured the top mark in the Thanaweya Amma. She studied medicine at Cairo University. In 1943 she married Abdel Moneim Abdul Fadl,^[1] accompanying him to pursue a PhD in England.^[2] The pair had three daughters and one son. Mona Abul Fadl was a professor of political science at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science. Hoda Abdul Al-Fadl is a professor of pathology at Al-Qasr Al-Ayni. Omar Abdul-Fadl was an engineer. Adda Abdul Fadl, is Professor of Pediatrics at Benha University.^[2]

In 1956 Zahira Abdin became assistant professor at Cairo University, and was made professor in 1966.^[1] She pioneered in the Middle East. At that time rheumatic heart disease was a leading cause of childhood mortality in Egypt. Zahira Abdin led the effort against it, establishing the Free Pyramid Rheumatic Heart Center in 1957.^[1] in the 1960s she was the first to identify the streptococcal strain causing the disease.^[2] In 1975 she set up the Child Health Institute in Dokki, Cairo. In 1986 she set up the Dubai Medical College for Girls (DMCG).^[1]

Zahira Abdin co-founded the , editing its journal's first issues.^[1] She was the first Egyptian doctor, and the first Arab doctor, to become a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in London.^[2] In 1990 the First Lady of Egypt, Suzanne Mubarak, awarded her the honorary title ‘Mother of Egyptian Doctors’. In 1991 she was the first woman from outside Europe to receive the .^[1]

References[]