Director General of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation
A visionary social development and health policy leader in the MENA region, Nisreen Qatamish currently serves as Director General and CEO of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF), Jordan’s largest healthcare NGO.
In this role, Mrs. Qatamish’s responsibilities include broadening global awareness of the King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC) and its mission to save lives and alleviate suffering caused by cancer, leading the Foundation's annual fundraising efforts, maintaining patient services, educating communities about the importance of early detection and championing equal access to comprehensive cancer care for all Jordanians.
Her vast understanding of the complexities involving local and regional affairs, health, youth and women empowerment, have brought a unique and creative prospective to her work which have led to pioneering initiatives such as the scaling-up of the Cancer Care Insurance Program. A thoughtful communicator, Mrs. Qatamish remains at the forefront in developing a sustainable national cancer insurance policy program and is presently advocating for its adoption by the relevant stakeholders in Jordan.
Prior to her position as KHCF Director General, Mrs. Qatamish served as the Executive Director for the Jordan Breast Cancer Program, a nation-wide program to provide comprehensive services for early detection screenings of breast cancer for all women in Jordan. There she worked tirelessly to highlight breast cancer as a national development issue that impacts all members of society not just a women’s health issue. As a result of the many effective national awareness campaigns led by Mrs. Qatamish, early detection rates saw a dramatic increase from 30% to 65%, thus saving the lives of many women.
Mrs. Qatamish has extensive experience working with governmental and non-governmental organizations, which include the European Union (EU), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the United Nationals Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the Global Fund. In addition, she has facilitated numerous trainings and worked as an advisor on women’s health, capacity building, democracy and civil society, youth, and the environment.
As a national active leader and policy maker, Mrs. Qatamish actively contributes in forming and reforming national health and social development policies. She is a setting member of numerous board and national committees in Jordan including: the Medical Tourism Board of Trustees, the National Committee for the Health Sector Governance Reform, the Public Health Forum, the Jordan Breast Cancer Program Board of Directors, the Business and Professional Women Association (BPWA) and the National Committee for Health Financing Strategy.
Mrs. Qatamish holds a BS in Natural Resources and Environmental Management from the University of Jordan in addition to several executive training courses and coaching programs with prominent educational institutions such as the American University of Beirut (AUB), Harvard Business School- Online and International Institution of Education (IIE).