The University of Oxford has received a further generous £2 million donation from Fondation Docteur Sadok Besrour to strengthen the regional impact of primary care research and education in Tunisia.
The new gift builds on the Foundation’s 2025 gift of £8.4m in support of global primary care at Oxford and reinforces the University’s long-standing commitment to advancing global health through research, education and international partnership.
Housed in the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, internationally recognised for research into health systems and community-based care, the funding will support a focused programme to strengthen academic primary health care in Tunisia.
In the first instance, the gift will fund:
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A national situational analysis of academic primary health care in Tunisia, to assess current capacity, opportunities and priorities for development
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The establishment of a Professor of Primary Care position in Tunisia, providing senior academic leadership and long-term sustainability
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The development of educational pathways to support and train the next generation of leading Tunisian Academic Primary Health Care practitioners.
These initiatives aim to enhance research capacity, strengthen academic leadership, and support the development of high-quality, evidence-based primary care systems in the region.
Docteur Sadok Besrour said
‘Strengthening primary care is essential to building resilient health systems. Trained in family medicine at McGill University in Canada, where I was among the first generation of family physicians, I went on to co-found the Besrour Centre in partnership with the College of Family Physicians of Canada to advance family medicine globally, and to introduce and develop the discipline nationally in Tunisia across its four faculties of medicine. I have long believed in the importance of academic leadership and training to support the next generation. We are proud to continue our partnership with the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences and the University of Oxford to support this work in Tunisia and across the region.’
We are deeply grateful to Fondation Docteur Sadok Besrour for this further generous gift. This investment will enable us to work closely with partners in Tunisia to strengthen academic primary care leadership, research capacity and education. It is an important step in catalysing work to build sustainable systems that can deliver high-quality care to communities.
- Professor Sir Aziz Sheikh, Head of the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences
Professor Gavin Screaton, Head of the University of Oxford’s Medical Sciences Division, said:
‘This generous donation strengthens Oxford’s long-term commitment to global primary care and to working in partnership with colleagues in Tunisia. By investing in academic leadership and research capacity, this initiative will help build the foundations for stronger, more resilient health systems. We are extremely grateful to Fondation Docteur Sadok Besrour for their continued vision and support.’
Professor Iheb Labbene, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Tunis at the University of Tunis El Manar, said:
‘We warmly welcome this generous gift from the Fondation Docteur Sadok Besrour, which marks a significant step forward for academic primary care in Tunisia. This support will strengthen our training, research and international collaboration, not only with the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford, but also with partners across North and West Africa. It will help advance the provision of high-quality, accessible primary healthcare for all. We are proud to be working together to shape the future of family medicine and academic leadership in Tunisia and across the region.’
The programme will be developed in close collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine at Tunis El Manar University, ensuring that it is responsive to national priorities and supports locally led, sustainable impact.
Further details on the implementation of the programme will be shared in the coming months.