Tunis, Tunisia, 19–22 October 2014. In his opening speech before the Sixty-first session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said that WHO was currently facing an unprecedented situation as it responded to five high-level grade 3 emergencies around the world, two of which were in the Region.

Polio eradication, in particular, remains a great challenge in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, which is currently the most polio-affected region in the world. With two of the three remaining endemic countries (Afghanistan and Pakistan) and two outbreaks (Somalia and Syrian Arab Republic), the situation poses a serious threat to regional and global eradication efforts.

Related links

Progress report on eradication of poliomyelitis
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