Awad Mataria is the Director of Universal Health Coverage/Health Systems at the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. He has more than 18 years' experience in health systems strengthening, health economics and health financing. For the last 12 years, he has supported countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region to strengthen their health systems with focus on health financing reforms. At present, Dr Mataria is spearheading WHO's health system rebuilding efforts in the twenty-two countries of the Eastern-Mediterranean Region, leveraging the lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic.