Anissa Hassouna

Anissa Hassouna (22 January 1953 – 13 March 2022) was an Egyptian politician who was a member of the Egyptian Parliament. Hassouna served as secretary-general of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and executive-director of the Magdi Yacoub Foundation. She graduated from Cairo University with a degree in political science and lived in Cairo, Egypt. Her bestselling memoir, Bedoon Sabeq Enzar (Without Prior Warning), describes her recurrent battle with cancer. Her book inspired many readers throughout the Middle East and motivated her to speak on World Cancer Day 2018, reminding individuals that cancer is an emotional and psychological battle, as well as a medical one.

Early life Anissa Hassouna was born in 1953 in Cairo, Egypt. The Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Foundation was founded in 2008 and provides free cardiac care to children in Egypt and the broader Middle East and Africa. After holding her position for seven years, Hassouna left in 2016 to serve as a member of the Egyptian Parliament. Along with House of Representatives member, Tarek Metwali, they agreed that plastic bags harm coral reefs and marine life. She describes her motivation for moving forward with cancer treatment and how it affected her as a woman. Her book not only describes her experience with cancer, but she also describes how women can still feel feminine after losing their hair.

Four days before her death, Hassouna was honoured by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's wife, Intisar El-Sisi, during the Women's International Day celebration.