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It is my great pleasure to join you all today for the 70th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean at the WHO Regional Office in Egypt, during WHO’s 75th anniversary year.
This is my last Regional Committee in the role of WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. Given the difficult times the world is going through, particularly in our Region, it is a moment for me to look back with pride at every path we have charted together, every hard time that we have faced, every obstacle we have overcome, and every success we have, by the grace of God, attained.
It is my great pleasure and honour to be addressing your Excellencies at the opening of this 70th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, as we return to a fully in-person modality.
Last time we met, the Regional Committee adopted some very important resolutions. You will recall the fruitful deliberations we had on key issues such as health security, One Health, the control of communicable diseases, promoting health and well-being, and digital health.
Dr Omnia El Omrani
COP27 President Youth Envoy
As a young medical doctor, I witnessed firsthand the impacts of climate change on the health of my community. I vividly remember a 2-year-old girl presenting with asthma and persistent wheezing due to being exposed to high levels of air pollution. Not only did it have detrimental effects on her growing body and brain, but it also prevented her from undergoing the surgery she needed and we had to wait until her overall condition improved.