Professor Arnon Afek

Professor Afek has many years of clinical and managerial experience. He previously served as Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Health, deputy director general, and director of the general hospital of the Sheba Medical Center. He took part in developing national programs to improve the quality of medical care, to prevent and treat diabetes and stroke, and to improve care for premature babies.

Professor Arnon Afek is the author of more than 200 scientific publications in leading international medical journals. His professional experience and deep knowledge of the Israeli healthcare system allow him to provide expert evaluation of complex medical cases and to help patients choose the best approach to examination and treatment.

Professor Afek graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and from the Hadassah University Hospital, receiving his MD with honors.

Main stages of his professional education:

• specialization in anatomical pathology at the Sheba Medical Center;
• specialization in medical administration;
• master's degree in health systems management from Ben-Gurion University, awarded with honors;
• the Wexner program for senior executives at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Professor Arnon Afek has many years of experience in training physicians and heads of medical institutions. From 2011 to 2022 he headed the international medical program New York State/American MD Program at Tel Aviv University.

He taught public health, medical ethics, pathology, hospital management and organization of medical care. Professor Afek is also a visiting professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Nicosia in Cyprus.

Professor Afek is the author and co-author of more than 200 scientific publications in leading international medical journals, including The Lancet, JAMA, NEJM, Circulation and ATVB.

Professor Arnon Afek is a lecturer in the IsraelMedDay medical education project organized by Sapir Medical Company.

His main research areas:

• diagnostic and anatomical pathology;
• epidemiology and public health;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• atherosclerosis;
• diabetes mellitus;
• the effect of obesity and other risk factors on health;
• development and effectiveness of healthcare systems.

In 2017 Professor Afek joined the editorial and author group of a special issue of The Lancet devoted to the Israeli healthcare system.

Awards and recognition

Professor Arnon Afek's professional work has been marked by numerous awards. Among them:

• the national "Outstanding Civil Servant" award for his contribution to the development of public health;
• a certificate of honor from the Israeli Association for the Protection of Patients' Rights;
• an award from the Civil Service Commission for reducing bureaucratic procedures in the licensing of doctors;
• an award for improving medical care for premature babies;
• professional prizes for research in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.

Professor Arnon Afek's rich clinical, scientific and managerial experience allows him to comprehensively evaluate complex medical questions in accordance with modern international standards of diagnosis and organization of treatment.

• diagnostic and anatomical pathology;
• expert evaluation of complex medical cases;
• analysis of test results and medical records;
• obtaining a second medical opinion;
• epidemiology and public health;
• prevention of cardiovascular diseases, stroke and diabetes;
• organization of examination and treatment in leading medical centers in Israel;
• management of healthcare systems and quality control of medical care.

Professor Arnon Afek specializes primarily in diagnostic pathology and expert evaluation of medical cases. He does not treat one specific disease; instead, he helps to comprehensively assess the diagnosis, determine the further examination tactics and select a suitable direction of treatment.