23 October 2024

October 2024, Cairo, Egypt ̶ Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women globally, accounting for 1 in 6 female deaths. Each year, it accounts for around 25% of all cancers diagnosed in women. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, over 130 000 new cases were reported in 2022, underscoring the urgent need for awareness and action. Every October, the...

23 October 2024

23 October 2024, Jerusalem/Amman/Geneva- Due to the escalating violence, intense bombardment, mass displacement orders, and lack of assured humanitarian pauses across most of northern Gaza, the Polio Technical Committee for Gaza, including the Palestinian Ministry of Health, World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and partners have...

22 October 2024

22 October 2024, Gaza, Cairo, Geneva – On 21 October, 14 patients and 10 caregivers were transferred from Kamal Adwan in North Gaza to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City during a high-risk, WHO-led joint mission, amid intense hostilities and access restrictions. Despite an initial agreement, the delivery of critical medical supplies, blood, and fuel—resources essential for keeping Kamal Adwan and...

20 October 2024

A total of 44 countries and 1 territory have reached the malaria-free milestone 20 October 2024 | Geneva / Cairo - The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Egypt as ‘malaria-free’, marking a significant public health milestone for a country with more than 100 million inhabitants. The achievement follows a nearly 100-year effort by the Egyptian government and people to end...

17 October 2024

17 October 2024, Doha, Qatar – WHO has secured an additional US$ 18 million in funding commitments from key partners, to complement US$ 18 million already in the pipeline. The pledges, by ATscale – Global Partnership for Assistive Technology and the Hamdard Foundation, and the pledge by the Islamic Development Bank earmarking the Health Impact Investment Platform, highlight growing global...

17 October 2024

17 October 2024, Doha, Qatar – The Seventy-first session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean (RC71), held under the theme Health Beyond Borders, concluded today in Qatar. Following 4 days of intense discussions and the exchange of views and experiences between ministers of health and representatives of Member States, partner organizations and WHO experts, RC71 adopted a series of...

17 October 2024

17 October 2024 Doha, Qatar Your Excellencies, Media colleagues, Distinguished guests, I would like to welcome you to this press conference. We have just concluded the 71st session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, which was held from 14 to 17 October 2024, and hosted by the State of Qatar. Before I start, I would like to thank Qatar for their generous hospitality and excellent...

17 October 2024

Wednesday, 16 October 2024 Thank you for joining us for this special event. Today we stand at a critical juncture. The next six years will determine whether we succeed in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 3 on good health and well-being – in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and globally. The WHO Investment Round aims to make sure that WHO is optimally placed...

16 October 2024

16 October 2024, Doha, Qatar – Mental health is crucial for individuals, communities and nations to achieve their full potential. The Eastern Mediterranean Region is home to 40% of the world’s population in need of humanitarian assistance and hosts 55% of the world’s refugees. Over the past 7 decades, many of the Region’s countries and territories have experienced wars, civil strife,...

16 October 2024

16 October 2024, Cairo, Egypt – Each year nearly 5 million deaths occur because of trauma and a further 45 million sustain life changing injuries. This exceeds deaths caused by the combined effects of malaria, tuberculosis and HIV. In 2023, in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 8 Member States each recorded over 1000 conflict-related deaths (range 1038–14 248), including seven Member States...

15 October 2024

Your Excellencies Ministers of Health and Heads of Delegations, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is my honour and pleasure to present my report on WHO’s work in the Region to you today. The annual report publication that was shared with you provides extensive information about WHO’s activities and achievements during 2023. It testifies to the hard work, dedication and tenacity of my revered predecessor, Dr...

15 October 2024

Your Excellency Dr Hanan Al-Kuwari, Ladies and gentlemen, I am very pleased to join this launch of the report “Changing the game: strengthening health and well-being through sports events”. The report is one fruit of the partnership between the State of Qatar, WHO and FIFA which aimed to create a lasting legacy out of Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It...

15 October 2024

15 October 2024, Doha, Qatar – The incidence of vector-borne diseases in the Eastern Mediterranean Region has increased significantly in the past decade. Factors include climate change, expanding and unplanned urbanization, international travel and population movement, weakened health systems in countries facing emergencies and other crises, chronic underinvestment in vector control capacity and growing resistance to insecticides. Since 1 January 2023...

15 October 2024

15 October 2024 –The 12th meeting of the Regional Subcommittee for Polio Eradication and Outbreaks was held during the 71st session of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region’s Regional Committee, marking another crucial step in the region’s pursuit of a polio-free future. The session witnessed robust participation, with a high number of interventions from Member States and members of the Regional...

15 October 2024

15 October 2024 – In December 2021, the World Health Assembly established the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), tasked with negotiating and drafting a convention, agreement or other international instrument to strengthen global pandemic prevention, preparedness and response efforts. The INB's mission is firmly grounded in the principles of inclusiveness, transparency, efficiency, Member State leadership and consensus. INB’s work on a pandemic agreement...

15 October 2024

15 October 2024, Doha, Qatar – Vaccines save over 4 million lives each year. Recognizing their critical role, in August 2020 the 73rd World Health Assembly adopted the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030). This global initiative aims to enhance immunization efforts within primary health care systems. Access to essential vaccines remains a pressing issue: 1 in 4 children in the Region lacks...

15 October 2024

16 October 2024, Doha, Qatar – Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a major threat to health and health systems. The Global Burden of Disease study recently revealed that 1.14 million deaths were linked to bacterial AMR worldwide in 2021 and the World Bank estimated that after 2023 the global GDP shortfall due to AMR would exceed US$ 1 trillion annually, exacerbating...

15 October 2024

16 October 2024, Cairo, Egypt – Efficient health information systems (HISs) improve health outcomes and the management of health services by facilitating better-informed policies and planning. In many countries of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, however, health data are often incomplete, fragmented or of inadequate quality, hindering the ability of decision-makers to formulate timely, efficient and concise health plans. WHO is...

14 October 2024

14 October 2024, Doha, Qatar – The 71st session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean (RC71) opened this morning in Doha, Qatar. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who joined virtually, and WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy inaugurated the event alongside H.E. the Minister of Public Health of Qatar Dr Hanan Al-Kuwari...

14 October 2024

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Your Excellencies Dr Tedros, Director General of the WHO Dr Hanan Balky, Regional Director of the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Honourable Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته It is with immense pleasure and honour that Qatar is hosting this significant event, the Seventy-First session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean and we are confident that it will...

14 October 2024

Your Excellencies, Regional Director, Dr Hanan Balkhy Distinguished guests, Assalamu Alaikum, Good morning, It is with profound gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility that I stand before you today as the Federal Minister of Health of our beloved nation, Somalia, and as Chair of the seventieth session of the Regional Committee held last year in Cairo. In conducting this role, I have consistently...

14 October 2024

Honourable Minister Dr Ali Haji Abubakar, Honourable Minister Dr Hanan Mohamed Al-Kuwari, Regional Director Dr Hanan Balkhy, Honourable Ministers and heads of delegation, Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends, Good morning, greetings from Berlin, and I apologise that I cannot be with you in person. I thank Qatar for hosting this year’s Regional Committee Meeting, which comes at a very difficult time for the region, with conflict...

14 October 2024

Your Excellencies Ministers of Health and Heads of Delegations, Director-General, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is my honour and pleasure to welcome you to the 71st session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean. This is my first Regional Committee as Regional Director, and I would like to start by thanking our outgoing Chair, His Excellency Dr Ali Haji Adam Abubakar, Minister of Health...

14 October 2024

14 October 2024, Cairo, Egypt – An unprecedented series of natural disasters, prolonged conflicts and humanitarian emergencies have left the Eastern Mediterranean Region in desperate need of innovative approaches to build a healthier future for its 750 million inhabitants. Expanding timely and equitable access to life-saving medicines and vaccines, building a more resilient health workforce and reducing morbidity, mortality and the...

14 October 2024

14 October 2024, Cairo, Egypt – WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy introduced the new Regional Strategic Operational Plan for the coming 4 years for review and endorsement during the Seventy-first session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean. With the ambitious goal of enabling all peoples of the Region to lead the healthiest lives...

10 October 2024

11 October 2024, Doha, Qatar ‒ The Seventy-first session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean will be held in Doha, Qatar from 14 to 17 October 2024 under the theme health beyond borders: action, access, equity. Ministers of health and high-level representatives of the 22 Member States and territories of WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region, and representatives of partner...

08 October 2024

I would like to welcome you to this media briefing ahead of the Seventy-first session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean which will convene between the 14 and 17 October in Doha, Qatar under the theme Health beyond borders: action, access, equity. As you will be aware, this year’s session – my first as Regional Director – is being...

03 October 2024

3 October 2024, Oman – World Health Organization Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy visited the Sultanate of Oman between 30 September–3 October, where she met with H.E. the Minister of Health Dr Hilal bin Ali Al Sabti and other senior officials and participated in the First Omani Healthy City Conference in Salalah, Dhofar Governorate. “My meeting with...

02 October 2024

30 September 2024, Cairo, Egypt – The Eastern Mediterranean Region faces a huge burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including chronic kidney disease (CKD). The Region’s frequent humanitarian emergencies –including conflicts, natural disasters and public health crises – place enormous strain on health care systems, making it particularly difficult to provide specialized care such as renal dialysis. In times of crisis, ensuring...

02 October 2024

1 October 2024, Cairo, Egypt – This year’s International Day of Older Persons, celebrated annually on 1 October, adopts the theme Ageing with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Persons Worldwide. People are living longer, and while the trajectory of each person’s life is different, older people are more likely to experience complex, chronic conditions, the...

01 October 2024

1 October 2024, Islamabad, Cairo, Geneva – In a monumental achievement for public health, the World Health Organization (WHO) has validated the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in Pakistan. Trachoma is a disease caused by infection by the Chlamydia trachomatis bacterium and can result in irreversible blindness if left untreated. Pakistan becomes the 19th country globally to reach...

29 September 2024

26 September 2024, Cairo, Egypt – On World Heart Day 2024, the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean joins the global movement campaigning under the banner ‘Use Heart for Action’ to empower individuals to take responsibility for their heart health and advocate for stronger national cardiovascular health action plans. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death globally. In...

24 September 2024

WHO believes the number of attacks is likely much higher than what is currently verifiable Cairo, September 24, 2024 - The number of attacks on healthcare facilities in Sudan since the onset of the armed conflict in April 2023 has exceeded 100, with 108 incidents verified by WHO until mid-September. WHO believes that the number of attacks is likely much higher than...

23 September 2024

23 September 2024, Cairo, Egypt – Yazan is a 20-year-old Syrian who was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma as a child. The conflict in Syria and resulting humanitarian crisis meant that Yazan struggled to access treatment for his cancer, and he received little support from his school and community. “I was denied entry to my final exams because I couldn’t climb the...

19 September 2024

18 September 2024  – Today marks 100 days since the arbitrary detention by de facto authorities in Sana’a of more than 50 personnel from the UN, international and national NGOs, civil society, and diplomatic missions. In addition, four UN staff members have been detained since 2021 and 2023. Attacks on humanitarian workers, including detentions and false accusations, violate international law, endanger...

19 September 2024

19 September 2024, Amman, Jordan – The World Health Organization (WHO) congratulates the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for becoming the first country in the world to be officially verified as having eliminated leprosy. This significant milestone marks a new era in global public health efforts. “WHO congratulates Jordan on this impressive milestone,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Leprosy has...

17 September 2024

18 Septebember 2024 FIFA and World Health Organization launch global concussion awareness campaign  Suspect and Protect will highlight risks of concussion and provide educational resources for everyone involved at every level of football Knowing the signs and symptoms of suspected concussion and how to protect players can help to make the game safer for all Global campaign is launched in partnership with the World...

13 September 2024

13 September 2024, Jerusalem/Amman/Geneva - Around 560 000 children under ten years old were vaccinated against polio during the first round of an emergency vaccination campaign conducted in three phases from 1-12 September 2024 in the Gaza Strip. The 12-day campaign provided novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) to 558 963 children, following meticulous planning and coordination. This involved the...

12 September 2024

Jerusalem, Cairo, Geneva, 12 September 2024 - At least one quarter or 22 500 of those injured in Gaza by 23 July are estimated to have life-changing injuries that require rehabilitation services now and for years to come, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) analysis of the types of injuries resulting from the ongoing conflict in Gaza: Estimating Trauma...

09 September 2024

Port Sudan, 9 September 2024 — WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Regional Director Dr Hanan Balkhy yesterday concluded a two-day mission to Port Sudan, where they reaffirmed WHO's commitment to reaching all Sudanese in need and called on the international community to urgently act to end the extreme health and humanitarian crisis. During their visit, Dr Tedros and Dr...

05 September 2024

Jerusalem, Amman, Geneva, 4 September 2024 – Over 187 000 children under ten years of age were vaccinated with novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) in central Gaza during the first phase of a two-round polio vaccination campaign, conducted between 1-3 September 2024. Vaccination coverage in this phase exceeded the initial estimated target of 157 000 children due to...

04 September 2024

4 September 2024, Cairo, Egypt – On 3 September, as part of its ongoing activities to celebrate World No Tobacco Day 2024, the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean organized an event that included an exhibition of drawings by children from the Region on tobacco control and the announcement of the results of the One Voice video campaign on...

02 September 2024

2 September 2024  – Globally, someone is bitten by a snake every 10 seconds, according to estimates. Snakebite envenoming is a potentially life-threatening disease caused by toxins in the bite of a venomous snake. Snake bites are estimated to cause about 81 000 to 138 000 deaths and 400 000 permanent disabilities globally each year. Snake bites are a neglected public health...

19 August 2024

19 August, 2024 Today, on World Humanitarian Day, we stand united in honouring the extraordinary dedication of humanitarian workers who, in the face of extreme adversity, continue to bring hope, relief and essential services to millions in need across the Eastern Mediterranean Region and, indeed, across the world. This day serves as a reminder of our collective responsibility to protect those...

06 August 2024

Breastfeeding is important for both child and mother. It protects the baby against illnesses and malnutrition, and also reduces the mother’s risk of diabetes, obesity and even some cancers. Many women do not breastfeed as long as they would like to due to restrictions and commitments. This must change. Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, reiterated on...

06 August 2024

7 August 2024 Thank you for being here. The past two weeks have once again highlighted the scale and complexities of emergencies across our Region. In that short period of time, there have been variant poliovirus strains detected in Gaza, military strikes and assassinations in several countries that further threaten regional security, a declaration of famine conditions in North Darfur in Sudan,...

30 July 2024

30 July 2024  Jerusalem, Cairo, Geneva - Today, 85 sick and severely injured patients from Gaza were evacuated to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), for specialized care. This extremely complex joint evacuation was supported by the the World Health Organization (WHO) in partnership with the Government of the UAE and other partners. This is the largest medical evacuation outside Gaza...

28 July 2024

28 July 2024, Cairo, Egypt – “It’s Time for Action”, urges WHO’s campaign to mark World Hepatitis Day 2024. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region and globally, WHO is calling on governments and communities to intensify efforts to combat hepatitis, emphasizing the need for urgent action. Fighting hepatitis in the Eastern Mediterranean Region raises both significant challenges and opportunities. An estimated 15...

28 July 2024

28 July 2024 – Egypt has officially launched the Egyptian National Guidelines programme. Thirty public health and clinical care guidelines are now available, covering 15 health issues. This is a great start to a remarkable initiative.  “I had the honour of Joining H.E. Dr Khaled Abdul Ghafar, Deputy Prime Minster and Minister of Health in the official launch of the Egyptian National...

25 July 2024

Cairo, Copenhagen, Geneva, 24 July 2024—Sixteen people from Gaza with complicated medical conditions will arrive in Spain today to receive care there, through an evacuation process involving the World Health Organization (WHO) and multiple partners. Fifteen of them are children, ranging in age from 3 to 17 years old. The mother of one of the children will also be treated...

24 July 2024

1 August 2024, Cairo, Egypt – Breastfeeding has proven benefits for infants and mums. Yet many women do not breastfeed for as long as they’d like as they lack a supportive environment. This year, the World Breastfeeding Week campaign centres on “Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all”. Breastfeeding is one of the best ways to ensure a child's health and...

22 July 2024

22 July 2024 – An event to mark the 50th anniversary of the Essential Programme on Immunization (EPI) was hosted by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean on the evening of 17 July 2024, in Cairo, Egypt. EPI is a cornerstone of global public health since it came into being in 1974, originally as the Expanded Programme on Immunization. Over...

18 July 2024

18 July 2024, Cairo, Egypt – World Health Organization Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr. Hanan Balkhy today met with Ambassador of Japan to Egypt His Excellency Mr. OKA Hiroshi to discuss ongoing and future collaborations between WHO and the Government of Japan. During the meeting, Dr. Balkhy expressed deep appreciation for the longstanding support from the Government of Japan...

17 July 2024

Given on her behalf by Dr Rana Hajjeh, Director of Programme Management, WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. Cairo, Egypt, 17 July 2024 Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is an honour to welcome you all here tonight. The 50th anniversary of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) is truly a momentous occasion. EPI is a cornerstone of global public health. Over the...

17 July 2024

Dear colleagues, Good morning / good afternoon, I’ve just returned from the United Arab Emirates, where I visited WHO’s logistics hub in Dubai. At the time of my visit, WHO staff were preparing supplies to be airlifted to Lebanon and Sudan. I was impressed at how the logistics hub has significantly expanded its capacity to handle the increased demand for emergency health supplies....

12 July 2024

11 July 2024, Cairo, Egypt -- I have just returned from the occupied Palestinian territory, where I visited the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Jenin, and Gaza. The situation in Gaza is concerning on both a human and humanitarian level. I saw firsthand the scale of devastation: lives and homes in ruins, hospitals overwhelmed, and a fully destroyed city. Lack of fuel...

11 July 2024

ADRE, CHAD, 10 JULY 2024 – As millions flee war and hunger in Sudan, senior leadership from WHO’s Africa and Eastern Mediterranean Regions converged in Chad, which hosts the largest number of Sudanese refugees, to assess the urgent health needs of people impacted by this complex and deteriorating humanitarian crisis. The mission aims to optimize WHO operations in Chad, Sudan, and...

09 July 2024

9 July 2024 – If we are to achieve the health-related targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, we need a paradigm shift, based on a new, more collaborative approach. This must harness the resources of all health actors and ensure that the private sector is also engaged in efforts to achieve public health goals.  On 15–17 July 2024, the WHO Regional Office...

26 June 2024

When we held our first press briefing on health emergencies after I took office about four months ago, I could not have foreseen the escalation of violence in our Region. The situation has grown more relentless and unforgiving, while life-saving aid remains out of reach for too many whose lives depend on it.  In Gaza, the health crisis continues to reach...

15 June 2024

15 June 2024, Jerusalem/Cairo/Geneva -- WHO remains concerned about the escalating health crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory, including the West Bank, where attacks on health infrastructure and increased restrictions on movement are obstructing access to health care.   A spike in violence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the war in Gaza started has resulted in the deaths of...

12 June 2024

15 June 2024, Cairo, Egypt – On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2024, the spotlight is on older people in emergencies. Older people often face mobility issues, chronic health conditions or social isolation –some of the factors that can hinder their ability to access aid, evacuate safely or receive timely medical care and support services. The chaos and stress of...

06 June 2024

6 June 2024, Cairo, Egypt – “Prepare for the unexpected” is the theme of the sixth World Food Safety Day, marked today by the United Nations. Food businesses, governments and consumers can all help prevent food contamination and foodborne illnesses. Food must be protected at every stage from production to consumption. WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United...

03 June 2024

3 June 2024 – Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing public health threat in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and globally. The Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) project estimates that 123 834 deaths in the Region in 2019 were directly due to sepsis caused by resistant bacteria, while a further 341 097 deaths were associated with sepsis caused by resistant bacteria. Inappropriate...

30 May 2024

30 May 2024, Geneva, Switzerland/Cairo, Egypt – Eight awards are to be presented at the Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly to people and institutions from around the world for their outstanding contributions to public health in their countries and globally. Four of the awardees are from the Eastern Mediterranean Region. A special awards ceremony will take place on 31 May 2024 in...

29 May 2024

29 May 2024 – World Hand Hygiene Day (WHHD) has been marked for 16 years to advocate for hand hygiene as an evidence-based, practical approach to infection prevention and control (IPC) in health care settings. This helps limit the risk of epidemics and pandemics and control the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Countries the world over, including in the Eastern Mediterranean...

28 May 2024

28 May 2024, Geneva, Switzerland – A partnership event to highlight health challenges and opportunities and the WHO journey in the Eastern Mediterranean Region was held in Geneva on 25 May, ahead of the Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly. Hosted by the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy and fellow senior officials, the event included a high-level...

25 May 2024

25 May 2024 – The World Health Organization (WHO) today signed funding agreements with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) valued at USD 19.4 million to jointly address global health challenges including in emergency responses. The support will reinforce WHO operations and programmes in three countries namely Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. The agreements were signed by Dr...

23 May 2024

Young people using e-cigarettes at rates higher than adults in many countries 23 May 2024 – Geneva / New York / Cairo – The World Health Organization (WHO) and STOP, a global tobacco industry watchdog, are launching today “Hooking the next generation,” a report highlighting how the tobacco and nicotine industry designs products, implements marketing campaigns and works to shape policy...

22 May 2024

23 May 2024, Cairo, Egypt – Each year, globally, there are up to 100 000 new cases of obstetric fistula – a devastating but largely preventable health condition. Over 2 million girls and women worldwide are estimated to be living with untreated fistulas. In the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, numerous girls and women across several countries endure this severe childbirth...

18 May 2024

18 May 2024 – I recently returned from Syria, where my goal was to gain a better understanding of the situation, the needs, and the challenges facing our humanitarian work on the ground. I met with senior Syrian officials, key donors, and partners in Damascus. I also visited Homs, Hama, and Aleppo governorates to meet with local health authorities, speak...

16 May 2024

16 May 2024 – Hypertension is a silent yet deadly public health problem. Today, on World Hypertension Day 2024, we remind all adults to get your blood pressure measured accurately and control it to live longer. Early detection and careful management of hypertension are vital. Hypertension is a leading risk factor for premature death and disability – in the WHO Eastern...

14 May 2024

Episode 6 I lead the medical team responsible for staff health and well-being across the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. Joining the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean in 2016 marked a new chapter in my journey of humanitarian work. Today, this spans more than 2 decades of diverse medical and occupational health practice. The Eastern Mediterranean Region is host to a...

12 May 2024

9 May 2024, Doha, Qatar – Yesterday, in Doha, the Ministry of Public Health concluded a 2-day joint workshop with WHO on the Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) 2024–2030. The workshop involved senior officials from the Ministry of Public Health, other relevant ministries and agencies of Qatar, and representatives of WHO, United Nations (UN) agencies and partners. The joint workshop aimed to...

12 May 2024

12 May 2024, Cairo, Egypt – Nurses and midwives make up more than half the health workforce in most countries of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. Today, as we celebrate International Nurses Day 2024, we also reflect on the many challenges faced by nurses in the Region. In the past decade, the density of nurses and midwives has not grown in...

12 May 2024

12 May 2024, Kabul, Afghanistan – WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy recently wrapped up a 3-day visit to Kabul, Afghanistan, following her high-level mission to neighbouring Pakistan with the Chair of the Polio Oversight Board and partners from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). In Afghanistan, Dr Balkhy met with the de facto authorities and health...

07 May 2024

Islamabad, 7 May, 2024 – WHO's Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr Hanan Balkhy, has concluded her inaugural visit to Pakistan. The comprehensive five-day mission spanned Islamabad, Peshawar and Lahore, and included high-level meetings with government officials, visits to WHO-supported health facilities, and participation in the subnational polio vaccination campaign. This was also Dr Balkhy’s first visit as part of...

03 May 2024

3 May 2024 – WHO is deeply concerned that a full-scale military operation in Rafah could lead to a bloodbath. More than 1.2 million people are currently sheltering in the area, many unable to move anywhere else. A new wave of displacement would exacerbate overcrowding, further limiting access to food, water, health and sanitation services, leading to increased disease outbreaks, worsening levels of...

01 May 2024

24 April 2024, Cairo, Egypt – World Immunization Week this year coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). Such has been the programme’s remarkable impact on global health that the “E” in EPI today stands for “Essential”. Since 1974, this WHO initiative has inspired countries to use vaccines to do everything humanly possible to safeguard the...

29 April 2024

Distinguished guests, esteemed colleagues, and members of the media, We warmly welcome you to this press conference to mark World Immunization Week. This year, the week coincides with a remarkable milestone – 50 years of the Expanded Programme on Immunization, or EPI. When launched in 1974, this WHO initiative started out with a limited series of vaccines against just six childhood diseases....

28 April 2024

24 April 2024, Cairo, Egypt – A Therapeutic Patient Education Expert Workshop held on 21–22 April made significant advances towards developing a regional curriculum for therapeutic patient education (TPE) on diabetes management. A diverse group of regional and global experts came together at the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean in Cairo, Egypt, to engage in rigorous review sessions, working...

25 April 2024

25 April 2024, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran – Dr Hanan Balkhy concluded her first official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran as the new WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, which took place on 12–15 April. She met with officials and partners to discuss WHO’s work on the ground and how to strengthen collaborations and strategic initiatives...

08 April 2024

Join our ONE VOICE campaign in the runup to World No Tobacco Day on 31 May 2024. To take part, record a short video message that speaks to your peers about the sneaky ways that tobacco companies try to get young people hooked on nicotine. You can submit a video if you’re a young person aged 13–35 years and live in...

07 April 2024

7 April 2024, Beirut, Lebanon – WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy concluded a 2-day visit to Beirut, Lebanon, last week at a time when hostilities are escalating on Lebanon’s southern border with Israel. The visit that took place on 2 and 3 April represented the third country visit on Dr Balkhy’s official tour of the WHO...

07 April 2024

6 April 2024, Jerusalem, Cairo, Geneva - A WHO-led multi-agency mission accessed Al-Shifa Hospital in north Gaza on 5 April to conduct a preliminary assessment of the extent of destruction and identify needs to guide future efforts to restore the facility. The highly complex mission was conducted in close partnership with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), United Nations...

07 April 2024

Episode 5 My journey with WHO began in 2007, following years of service with Yemen’s health ministry and a Belgian nongovernmental organization dedicated to assisting people with disabilities. Al-Hudaydah, nestled by the Red Sea, presents unique challenges. It has experienced years of conflict and continues to suffer consistent instability. This has escalated in the past few months, as the impact of the...

04 April 2024

4 April 2024, Cairo, Egypt – The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) today launched a joint programme to support the health system responses of the governments of Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon to climate change adaptation and risk reduction over the coming two years.  The programme, operating...

04 April 2024

7 April 2024, Cairo, Egypt – “My health, my right”, the theme for World Health Day 2024, is a reminder that health is a fundamental right that must be ensured for every human being. Health as a human right is recognized in the WHO Constitution, and the right to health has been central to WHO’s identity and mandate since the start. Health...

01 April 2024

1 April 2024 – As of January 2024, Iraq has achieved the polio transition process in full. It is the first country among the polio transition priority countries to achieve this remarkable feat. Polio transition involves repurposing polio assets – knowledge, network and infrastructure – to strengthen the broader public health functions of a country within the overall context of strengthening the...

26 March 2024

Statement by Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean 26 March 2024– On behalf of the World Health Organization, it is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic loss of one of our dedicated team members, Engineer Emad Shehab, in Deir-ez-Zor City, Syria, who lost his life in the early hours of Tuesday morning when his building was...

25 March 2024

The country faces an alarmingly high malnutrition rate, with nearly 2.4 million children aged under 5 years suffering from stunting. 25 March 2024, Cairo, Egypt – The conflict in Yemen enters its 10th year today, with over half of the country’s population in desperate need of aid and an estimated 17.8 million people requiring health assistance, 50% of them children. “It’s almost...

24 March 2024

24 March 2024 Thank you for gathering here today on World Tuberculosis Day. As one of the most deadly infectious diseases in the world, TB remains a pressing challenge to all WHO regions. In September 2023, the United Nations General Assembly convened its second high-level meeting on tuberculosis, at which Member States renewed their commitments to advance global, regional and national...

23 March 2024

24 March 2024, Cairo, Egypt – Tuberculosis (TB) is still one of the world’s deadliest diseases, although it is both preventable and curable. Today, on World Tuberculosis Day, WHO and partners worldwide unite to renew the commitment to end the global TB pandemic. Every year, 10 million people globally fall ill with TB. An infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs...

22 March 2024

22 March 2024, Cairo, Egypt – I recently visited Al-Arish Governorate and the Rafah border crossing point in Egypt, where I met with the Deputy Governor of North Sinai Major General El-Ghandoor, senior officials from the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) and Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), and other health partners working on the health response to the Gaza crisis. Since the...

16 March 2024

16 MARCH 2024, CAIRO, EGYPT – Thirteen years of conflict have left 16.7 million people requiring humanitarian aid and 15 million people - 65% of the population – in need of health assistance in Syria. This is the largest number of people in need of humanitarian aid since the conflict began in 2011. “There are currently more Syrians in need of...

15 March 2024

15 March 2024 -- I have just returned from Sudan, my first mission to an emergency country in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region since I took office 5 weeks ago. I saw first-hand the devastation that decades of fragility, and nearly a year of brutal war, have wreaked on the country. “We lost many things this year that we will never...

11 March 2024

11 March 2024, Port Sudan, Sudan – Sudan’s Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) will launch a polio vaccination campaign in April 2024 in response to a new emergence of variant poliovirus type 2 reported in January 2024. It was detected in six wastewater samples collected from September 2023 to January 2024 in the Port Sudan locality, Red Sea State. The FMOH,...

11 March 2024

11 March 2024 – Globally, more than 400 000 children and adolescents aged 0–19 years are diagnosed with cancer every year. Latest Global Cancer Observatory estimates for the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region show that there were about 36 000 new cases of paediatric cancers and 16 500 deaths in 2022. Experts from every country and territory of the Region, international partners,...

11 March 2024

11 March 2024, Cairo, Egypt – A US$ 8 million grant agreement signed yesterday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Japan will provide essential support for critically ill patients evacuated from the Gaza Strip to Egypt for medical treatment. The agreement was signed by His Excellency Mr OKA Hiroshi, Ambassador of Japan to Egypt, and Dr Nima Abid, WHO...

07 March 2024

Women’s Health and Gender Equality: Essential Elements for a Better Future Every year on the 8th of March, we mark International Women’s Day, and the entire month of March is dedicated to recognizing women’s achievements and advances despite numerous challenges. This year’s theme is “Invest in women: Accelerate progress”, a call which is crucial that we embrace during these times of uncertainty. In...

07 March 2024

8 March 2024 – A call to invest in women’s and girls’ health, well-being, and empowerment in all areas of life goes out today, on International Women’s Day 2024. The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean joins the world in marking the global day, this year themed “Invest in women: Accelerate progress”. This call is crucial in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean...

06 March 2024

5 March 2024, Rabat, Morocco ­– In a world facing numerous challenges, achieving universal health coverage remains crucial. More than half of the global population­ ­– some 4.5 billion people ­– lack full access to essential health care. In addition, over 2 billion people experience financial hardship in accessing basic health care. Social inequities and barriers in access to health care most affect the poorest,...

04 March 2024

4 March 2024, Cairo, Egypt – Today, World Obesity Day 2024, is a chance to highlight the need to talk about obesity and youth. Obesity is a major health issue in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. More than half of women (53%), nearly half of men (45%) and an alarming 8% of school-aged children and adolescents are obese, while 20.5%...

03 March 2024

As we approach World Hearing Day on 3 March 2024, the global community is gearing up to embrace its theme of “Changing mindsets: Let’s make ear and hearing care a reality for all!” Communities across the world will observe the global day, which promotes awareness of hearing loss and advocates for ear care. This year’s theme invites us to rethink...

22 February 2024

22 February 2024 Dear colleagues, ladies, and gentlemen, Good afternoon from WHO's Regional Office in Cairo, Egypt. I am honored to address you today as the newly appointed Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. As I begin my tenure, I'm deeply aware of the profound challenges our Region is facing. In Gaza, an entire population continues to face unimaginable violence and loss with nowhere...

21 February 2024

21 February, Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Amid a worsening health emergency, the World Health Organization (WHO) logistics hub in Dubai, in partnership with Dubai’s International Humanitarian City, will be delivering critical health supplies worth over US$ 1.7 million to the Gaza Strip. In total, 80 metric tonnes of life-saving medicines, including insulin, are being delivered through a temporary air bridge between...

20 February 2024

20 February 2024 – WHO led two life-saving missions to transfer 32 critical patients, including two children, from Nasser Medical Complex in southern Gaza on 18 and 19 February, amid ongoing hostilities and access restrictions. The high-risk missions were conducted in close partnership with the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian...

14 February 2024

15 February 2024  – On International Childhood Cancer Day 2024, we highlight the vital role of parents, as well as family doctors and paediatricians, in the early detection of childhood cancers. No one is more ready to invest in their children’s well-being than parents. By getting to know the early signs and symptoms of certain cancers and looking out for them,...

06 February 2024

6 February 2024, Cairo, Egypt – A US$ 10 million agreement signed today by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) will provide more than one million people in Gaza with access to emergency life-saving health services. “The collaboration between WHO and KSrelief signifies a strategic, coordinated response to addressing urgent health needs...

05 February 2024

Protecting children from tobacco industry interference Application form On 31 May 2024, WHO will celebrate World No Tobacco Day. The tobacco problem is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing about 8.3 million people a year globally. More than 7 million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use, while about 1.3 million deaths result from non-smokers being...

01 February 2024

Cancer is a major contributor to global mortality, causing about 1 in every 6 deaths and affecting nearly every household (1). Globally, there were an estimated 20 million new cases of cancer and 9.7 million deaths from cancer in 2022. The cancer burden will increase by about 77% by 2050, further straining health systems, people and communities (2). In the WHO...

30 January 2024

29 January 2024, Cairo, Egypt – To mark the World Health Organization’s 75th anniversary, the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean hosted a networking and partner and staff appreciation event last night, at the Grand Egyptian Museum, Cairo, under the theme “Painting a healthier and safer future together”. The aim was to renew commitment to our shared regional goal of...

24 January 2024

18 January 2024 – Cairo, Egypt – The Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population, in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean successfully organized a landmark event as part of the Presidential Initiative on Women’s Health. Held on 18 January 2024 at the Hilton Heliopolis Hotel in Cairo, this roundtable event coincided with the 16th Annual Breast,...

23 January 2024

Cairo, Geneva, Jerusalem, 23 January 2024 – WHO and partners completed another high-risk mission on Monday to resupply fuel to the Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people remain cut off from aid. Across the Gaza Strip, the few remaining hospitals find themselves in ever more dire circumstances, with hostilities often preventing access for patients and...

23 January 2024

23 January 2024, Geneva – The WHO Executive Board, currently holding its 154th session in Geneva, has appointed Dr Hanan Balkhy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. This follows her nomination by the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean on 10 October 2023. Dr Balkhy takes up her appointment on 1 February...

23 January 2024

23 January 2024 – The WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region has some of the highest and fastest-growing rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) globally, owing to widespread antibiotic misuse and overuse. Nearly 1.3 million people are already dying as a direct result of AMR worldwide. High rates of drug resistance undermine many health efforts and make health care more complex, expensive and...

15 January 2024

15 January 2024 Good afternoon from WHO’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean in Cairo, Egypt. We are now at the 100-day mark since the hostilities in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory escalated. In this short period of time, Gazans – previously waking up every day in their beds to get ready to go to school or work, have family dinners together,...

28 December 2023

27 December 2023 – Gaza: World Health Organization teams have undertaken high-risk missions to deliver supplies, with partners, to hospitals in Northern and Southern Gaza witnessing intense hostilities in their vicinity, high patient loads and overcrowding caused by people displaced by the conflict seeking refuge. “Today I repeat my call on the international community to take urgent steps to alleviate the...

25 December 2023

25 December 2023, Cairo, Egypt – Data management skills can help experts to better handle health emergency data and respond to public health challenges. To strengthen data management in health emergency response, WHO conducted the Regional Training on Capacity Development of Data Analytics and Dissemination, using R software, in Amman, Jordan, on 3–7 December 2023. The training was attended by epidemiologists...

21 December 2023

21 December 2023  – Hunger is ravaging Gaza, and this is expected to increase illness across the Strip, most acutely among children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and older people. In new estimates released today, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) global partnership, which includes WHO, said Gaza is facing “catastrophic levels of food insecurity,” with the risk of famine “increasing each...

21 December 2023

Dr Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative on the occupied Palestinian territorySean Casey, WHO Emergency Medical Teams coordinator Yesterday, 20 December 2023, in another high-risk joint mission, a team from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other UN partners, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and the United Nations Department of Safety...

20 December 2023

20 December 2023 – WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) continue to work together to improve cancer surveillance systems in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. The aim is to improve reporting and surveillance systems and the quality of cancer-related data – ultimately to contribute to cancer control. Such efforts support the millions of people in the...

19 December 2023

19 December 2023 Thank you all for joining us. This is my last media briefing before the year ends, and I am speaking to you today with the heaviest heart as I, like all of us here, witness unimaginable suffering. Our region of over half a billion people is home to 38% of the global population in need of humanitarian aid, which means...

17 December 2023

17 December 2023 — WHO staff participated in a joint UN mission to Al-Shifa Hospital in north Gaza on 16 December to deliver health supplies and assess the situation in the facility. Partners on today’s mission included OCHA, UNDSS, and UNMAS. The team delivered medicines and surgical supplies, orthopedic surgery equipment, and anesthesia materials and drugs to the hospital. Al-Shifa Hospital,...

12 December 2023

12 December 2023 – Cairo, Geneva, Jerusalem, WHO reiterates its call for the protection of health care and humanitarian assistance in Gaza, following military checkpoint delays and detention of health partners during a mission to transfer critically-ill patients and deliver supplies to a hospital in northern Gaza. During the mission, a patient reportedly died.  On 9 December 2023, a WHO team,...

10 December 2023

Geneva, 10 December 2023  Dear colleagues, ladies, and gentlemen, I would like to start by asking for a minute of silence in memory of our WHO colleague Dima Alhaj and all the humanitarian workers who have been killed in Gaza, some with several of their family members, over the past two months. WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region – plagued by some of the world’s...

06 December 2023

4 December 2023, Rabat, Morocco – The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean ran a 2-day training programme in Rabat, Morocco, to strengthen the risk assessment capacities of the Moroccan Ministry of Health. Experts from the WHO Regional Office, WHO Country Office in Morocco and Ministry of Health facilitated the training. The training equipped Ministry of Health personnel with the knowledge...

05 December 2023

Episode 4 5 December 2023  – One ordinary Saturday morning in Khartoum, Sudan, during the holy month of Ramadan, I was suddenly awoken by a deafening sound and the house shaking. From the roof, I saw the formidable sight of a fighter jet flying overhead and heavy smoke rising in the distance. The sound grew louder, more aggressive, horrible. A bombshell landed...

04 December 2023

4 December 2023, Cairo/Geneva – Once again, nowhere is safe in Gaza. WHO is gravely concerned about the resumption of hostilities, including heavy bombardment in Gaza, and reiterates its appeal to Israel to take every possible measure to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, as per the laws of war. We have seen what happened in northern Gaza. This cannot...

24 November 2023

24 November 2023, Geneva/Cairo - On 22 November, in cooperation with the Palestine Red Crescent Society, WHO participated in another joint-UN mission to transfer 151 patients, relatives and health workers accompanying them from Al-Shifa hospital in northern Gaza. The mission was undertaken following specific requests from health authorities and hospital officials in Gaza. This was the third mission to Al-Shifa carried...

23 November 2023

23 November 2023, Cairo, Egypt – The World Health Organization (WHO) and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) today signed a letter of intent to solidify their commitment to collaborative humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip. The letter of intent, for US$ 10 million, was signed by Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, and...

23 November 2023

22 November 2023, Cairo, Egypt – The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean ran a 2-day capacity-building training for 6 countries to strengthen the safety and preparedness of health facilities to better respond to and manage emergencies and disasters. Participants from Afghanistan, Egypt, Islamic Republic of Iran, Oman, Pakistan, Syria and Yemen took part. The subregional workshop on safe emergency...

22 November 2023

22 November 2023 – Thank you for joining us today for our regional update on the health emergencies in the occupied Palestinian territory and Sudan.  Before I begin my remarks, I’d like to take a moment to remember Dima Alhaj, our young WHO colleague who was tragically killed yesterday when her parents’ home was bombed. Dima’s husband, 6-month-old baby boy and more...

21 November 2023

Cairo/Geneva/Jerusalem, 21 November 2023 – With heavy hearts, WHO announces the death of one of our staff in Gaza, in the occupied Palestinian territory. Dima Abdullatif Mohammed Alhaj, 29 years old, had been with WHO since December 2019. She worked as a patient administrator at the Limb Reconstruction Centre, a critical part of the WHO Trauma and Emergency Team.   Dima died today...

21 November 2023

21 November 2023 – With the world’s attention having turned to the horrifying situation in Gaza, we must remember that the Sudanese people continue to face suffering on a scale that is also catastrophic. The figures coming out of Sudan are staggering: nearly 25 million people need humanitarian aid and 11 million people need urgent health assistance. More than 20 million...

20 November 2023

20 November 2023 — WHO is appalled by the attack today on the Indonesian Hospital in North Gaza, which reportedly resulted in the killing of at least 12 persons including patients and their companions residing at the hospital. According to reports, tens of people were also injured in the attack, including some with critical and life-threatening injuries. Health workers and...

19 November 2023

19 November 2023, Geneva/Cairo  – A second WHO-led joint UN mission, working in collaboration with the Palestine Red Crescent Society, earlier today evacuated 31 babies from Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza, to a hospital in southern Gaza. The severely ill babies were transported in 6 ambulances supplied and staffed by the Palestine Red Crescent. Other mission members included UN Mine Action,...

19 November 2023

18 November 2023 - Earlier today, a joint UN humanitarian assessment team, led by WHO accessed Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza to assess the situation on the ground and conduct a rapid situational analysis, assess medical priorities, and establish logistics options for further missions. The team included public health experts, logistics officers, and security staff from OCHA, UNDSS, UNMAS/UNOPS, UNRWA...

18 November 2023

18 November 2023, Cairo, Egypt – As World AMR Awareness Week 2023 begins today, the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean emphasizes the urgent need to address the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Antibiotic resistance threatens health care in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Drug-resistant infections are more and more common and are spreading faster. Misuse and overuse of antibiotics in...

16 November 2023

Episode 3 16 November 2023 – I am Nevien Attalla, and I serve as Operations Manager at the WHO logistics hub in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. My background in pharmacy has facilitated my career journey and contributed significantly to humanitarian efforts. I had been a microbiological instructor to the retail field before joining the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot in 2012, where...

16 November 2023

On November 17, 2023, the world will mark three years of the global collaboration with survivors, leaders, and advocates towards the elimination of cervical cancer. This provides an opportunity to celebrate the global commitment and review progress on the pathway to elimination, aiming for a threshold of fewer than 4 women per 100 000 women-years. This has catalyzed a social...

15 November 2023

15 November 2023 – Over the last 50 years, health systems in the Eastern Mediterranean Region have been transformed, leading to improved health outcomes. Among other factors, the ability to prevent and treat infection successfully and cost-effectively has made an immense contribution to this progress. Child deaths have more than halved-from an under 5 death rate of 99 deaths per...

14 November 2023

14 November 2023, Cairo, Egypt – World Diabetes Day is being marked across the globe today. As well as raise awareness of diabetes as a global public health issue, the event aims to highlight what must be done, collectively and individually, to enable access to better prevention, diagnosis and management of the condition. World Diabetes Day this year focuses on access...

13 November 2023

The WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region is at a critical juncture to capitalize on the momentum from the COVID-19 response. Turning temporarily scaled-up capacity in countries and territories into permanent capacities, agendas and networks will strengthen health security and systems for the future. Infection prevention and control (IPC) is an area in which the Region made substantial gains during the COVID-19 pandemic....

12 November 2023

Statement by Ms. Laila Baker, UNFPA Arab States Regional Director; Ms. Adele Khodr, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa; Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean 12 November 2023, Cairo/Amman — The regional directors of UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO call for urgent international action to end the ongoing attacks on hospitals in Gaza. We are...

12 November 2023

12 November 2023 — WHO has lost communication with its contacts in Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza. As horrifying reports of the hospital facing repeated attacks continue to emerge, we assume our contacts joined tens of thousands of displaced people who had sought shelter on the hospital grounds and are fleeing the area. There are reports that some people who...

08 November 2023

8 November 2023 – As deaths and injuries in Gaza continue to rise due to intensified hostilities, intense overcrowding and disrupted health, water, and sanitation systems pose an added danger: the rapid spread of infectious diseases. Some worrying trends are already emerging.  Lack of fuel has led to the shutting down of desalination plants, significantly increasing the risk of bacterial infections...

04 November 2023

4 November 2023 — WHO condemns the attacks on 3 November near Al-Shifa Hospital, Al-Quds Hospital, and the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza City and North Gaza governorates. According to reports, at Al-Shifa Hospital, ambulances were evacuating critically injured and sick patients to hospitals in the south of the Gaza Strip when there was an attack at the entrance of the hospital....

01 November 2023

01 November 2023, Beirut, Lebanon – As hostilities escalate on the border between Lebanon and Israel, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari has concluded a visit to Beirut, where he met with the Prime Minister, the Minister of Health, UN partners, and WHO staff to reinforce health system preparedness for a potential escalation of the conflict. Over...

01 November 2023

1 November 2023 – The Doha Statement on Healthy Cities was endorsed today, concluding the Eastern Mediterranean Healthy Cities Conference2023 jointly organized by WHO and Ministry of Public Health of Qatar. The Doha Declaration serves as a call for action to advance towards to sustainable urban well-being. The 2-day event brought together experts and specialists from almost all corners of the...

01 November 2023

1 November 2023 – The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomes Egypt’s decision to accept 81 injured and sick people from the Gaza Strip for treatment. WHO has been working to support the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population in planning and establishing a comprehensive triage, stabilization, and medical evacuation system, by providing ongoing training for health care staff. WHO is also...