25 February 2019 – Based on an invitation from the esteemed Government and Ministry of Health of Bahrain to conduct a comprehensive assessment on pollution sources and patterns, especially the electromagnetic emissions from telecommunications towers and base stations as well as their potential impacts on public health; and in coordination with country desk and headquarters, Dr Ahmad Basel Al-Yousfi, Director, Regional Centre for Environmental Health Action, and WHO Environmental Health experts team visited the Kingdom of Bahrain in the period of 3-7 February 2019. 

During the mission several field visits and meetings with concerned Governmental stakeholders were carried out, concluding with fruitful meetings that were conducted with Her Excellency Dr. Faiqa Saleh the Minister of Health as well as His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister. Both dignitaries praised the contributions and leadership of WHO in the region and the world, and commanded its programmes to protect public health and the environment. Also, stressed the success of mutual cooperation between Bahrain and the World Health Organization.

Dr Al-Yousfi and the WHO experts expressed their satisfaction with the protective advancements of health and the environment the Kingdom, especially in terms of maintaining safe levels of electromagnetic emission exposures from Telecommunications Towers. The WHO experts also praised the measurements procedures and regulatory protocols adopted in the Kingdom of Bahrain, in line with international guidelines and similar to those practised in highly developed countries in this constantly growing field.