Regional dialogue on diaspora engagement in health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
The WHO Regional Office for Eastern Mediterranean, in collaboration with the IOM Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa will host a regional dialogue on diaspora engagement in health in the Region on 28 June 2022. This is the first session in a series of regional dialogues as part of collaborative plans between the two organizations to maintain a continuous dialogue on international mobility of health professionals in the Region. The event will be hybrid, held in the WHO Regional Office in Cairo and virtually.
Register here
Health Worker Recognition Awards
WHO Regional Office for Eastern Mediterranean recognizes and appreciates the untiring efforts and services of all health workers , especially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a Health Workers Recognition Award at the occasion of 2021 as the International Year of Health and Care Workers, for their outstanding contribution. We congratulate the awardees for their outstanding contribution to improving health services and strengthening health workforce in the Region.
Leadership
Dr Maryna Doumit
Nurse, Lebanon
Service Delivery
Ms Hinda Ali
Nurse/Midwife, Somalia
Service Delivery
Dr May El Meraisi and the COVID-19 mental health Helpline Team
Clinical psychologist, Qatar
Health Professionals Education
Prof Hossam Hamdy
Medical doctor, Egypt
Year of the Health and Care Workers 2021
2021 has been designated as the International Year of Health and Care Workers in appreciation and gratitude for their unwavering dedication in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO is launching a year-long campaign, under the theme – Protect. Invest. Together. It highlights the urgent need to invest in health workers for shared dividends in health, jobs, economic opportunity and equity.
Key dates for advocacy
World Health Worker Week: 5–9 April
World Health Day: 7 April
International Day of the Midwife: 5 May
International Nurses Day: 12 May
COVID-19
Health workers are at the forefront of the response to COVID-19, both as service providers and as high-risk groups for contracting the disease. The rapidly increasing workload has resulted in shortages in the health workforce as well as producing a highly stressful working environment with long working hours, psychological distress, fatigue and occupational burnout.
The WHO Regional Office has developed an interim guidance note to guide actions. A number of other guidance notes and tools are also available to support actions.
Health workforce country snapshots
The health workforce snapshots were developed to provide a brief overview of the health workforce situation in each country of the Eastern Mediterranean Region. The snapshots are based on quantitative and qualitative data, highlighting key health workforce issues in countries.
The Framework for Action on Health Workforce Development in the Eastern Mediterranean Region 2017–2030
The Framework for Action on Health Workforce Development in the Eastern Mediterranean Region 2017-2030 was endorsed at the 64th Regional Committee in Islamabad, Pakistan in October 2017.
Sustainable Development Goals target (3c)
Substantially increase health financing, and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce in developing countries, …
