Saleh, who goes by the name “Dua,” is a dentist and health communications specialist. Based in Ottawa and originally from Iraq, her educational social media videos in Arabic and English have been viewed more than 100 million times and have attracted a global community of 500,000 followers.
Dua contributes her decade’s worth of expertise to health organizations locally, nationally and worldwide. She was recognized as the first Arabic female health advocate with the World Health Organization’s Fides network of health-care influencers and, in 2021, was named one of Iraq’s 100 most influential people. Dua is also a mother to two girls, Leen (10) and Nadine (six), the latter of whom has become just as inspirational a role model because of her own health-care experiences.
Whether through her career or her parenting, Dua has found a way to fulfill her life’s passion: to use media to make science more accessible and health education more inclusive.
From dentistry to digital content
Dua’s interest in health advocacy started in Iraq against a backdrop of war and conflict. Despite the circumstances, Dua’s parents fostered her curiosity and sense of service, urging her to make a positive impact on others’ lives. As a child, she devoured books on all subjects, preparing herself for this mission.
Dua’s first step towards helping others came after high school, when she entered dentistry school in the United Arab Emirates. Advocacy and preventive care were her focus from day one. In her clinic, she noticed a recurring issue: patients weren’t lacking treatment—they were lacking health education.
“There is a big gap in health information and how you can protect yourself and your family from disease,” Dua says. “Also, misinformation is prevalent when you have a lack of the right information.”
By 2016, social media was evolving and Dua saw an opportunity. With solid clinical training and YouTube and Facebook at her fingertips, Dua had the idea to use these platforms for health education. She started filming videos on her phone, translating complex health information into simple, everyday language. What began as videos about basic oral health quickly expanded into content about family, women’s and children’s health.
“With one video, you can help millions of people, and that’s a much bigger impact than I can have in my profession as a dentist. I can save lives.”
Dr. Dowaa Saleh (MA ’23)
Her trailblazing videos drew praise and backlash. Dua was the first female Iraqi health-care professional to share social media videos in this way. With safety risks and cultural barriers, many thought she should keep her opinions to herself. But Dua continued undeterred, with the support of her family and encouragement from her viewers.
“With one video, you can help millions of people, and that’s a much bigger impact than I can have in my profession as a dentist. I can save lives,” says Dua of her motivation.
In 2021, Dua decided it was time to level up her clinical skills and online content. She moved with her young family to Ottawa and enrolled in uOttawa’s master of communication program, in the health communication concentration. “(That degree) was the piece of the puzzle that was missing,” says Dua. “I knew the experience would give me a more structured means of health communication in addition to my professional experience. It felt like gaining superpowers.”
Beyond satisfying her hunger for knowledge, Dua expanded her collaborations, contributing her expertise to organizations such as the Canadian Public Health Association and other national and international groups, shaping digital health communication and storytelling strategies.
A family’s journey
The most powerful of Dua’s stories stems from the experience of her second daughter, Nadine.
When Dua was five months pregnant, an ultrasound revealed the baby would be born with only half a heart. Told by doctors that nothing could be done, Dua remembered a Grey’s Anatomy episode featuring in-utero surgery.
Dua and her husband Ali contacted medical teams worldwide and found a doctor in Ohio who would perform the surgery. Nadine was delivered safely a few months later.
After two years, the decision to share Nadine’s story on social media wasn’t one Dua made lightly. It was a vulnerable time for the family, but ultimately Dua and Ali decided the opportunity for a positive impact outweighed the risk.
“We wanted parents around the world to get educated about congenital heart defects (CHD),” says Dua. “One in 100 women have issues with this and most don’t know you can do something for the baby during pregnancy.” Media coverage by ABC, Good Morning America, the Toronto Star and other prominent outlets helped raise awareness and funds for research, surgery and pediatric care at the facilities that saved Nadine.
Today, six-year-old Nadine thrives under the care of a specialist team at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa, where Dua also works as a social media strategist.
“She is strong, smiley, incredible and bossy,” says Dua, laughing. “Her health remains a priority, but she is living as a normal girl and is loved and cherished by everyone she meets.”
Whether it’s sharing Nadine’s story or her health education videos more broadly, Dua intends to continue keeping a busy schedule with passion and purpose. She’s just wrapped up a breast cancer awareness advocacy with the Iraqi Women’s Rights group and was named a 2026 campaign ambassador for the World Dental Federation. She’s also writing a book about her family’s journey.
Dua is committed to continuing her own advocacy work and sharing her expertise with health organizations to make science and medicine more accessible and fight misinformation. “People want authenticity, they want relatability, they want storytelling,” says Dua, noting that this is true across every field. “Don’t hesitate to tell your story, because it can save lives.”