Elie

Aaraj

Founder and Former Director of the Association Soins Infirmiers et Développement Communautaire-SIDC, which was established in 1987. Elie Aaraj completed his Maitrise degree in Community Health at the St Joseph University, Lebanon after going on to complete BS Nursing at the Lebanese University in 1982. He worked in 2 hospitals in Lebanon, before becoming the Director of the Nurse-Aid Technical School at Hayek Hospital, Beirut.

He is the Founding President of the Order of Nurses in Lebanon Council member of the Municipality of Sin El Fil for 2 terms (1998 & 2004). He is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Middle East and North Africa Harm Reduction Association-MENAHRA, a regional NGO working towards promoting and advocating for harm reduction within the MENA region. President of the Regional/Arab Network Against AIDS-RANAA (2008 – 2018). Mr. Aaraj has undertaken more than ten major pieces of research on HIV, drug use prevention and Harm Reduction and the role of civil society organizations.

Holder of “Medaille Marcelle Hochar” Award (2005) from the Lebanese Red Cross Nursing Association, the National Rolleston Award (2011) from Harm Reduction International. The “Kim Mo IM” Award for policy innovation and Impact, International Council of Nursing (2019)