Select your language
Remarks by Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director WHA79 High-Level Global Event Recognizing Traumatic Brain Injury as a Notifiable & Chronic Condition
17 May 2026 Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, and partners, Traumatic brain injury is one of the most significant yet overlooked public health challenges of our time. An estimated 69 million people sustain a TBI every year, yet it remains under-recognized in many health systems and policy frameworks. Too often, it is treated as a single acute...
Building an emergency-ready health workforce by 2030: Global Health Emergency Corps Strategy launched at WHA79
17 May 2026, Cairo, Egypt – Global leaders, Member States and partners gathered yesterday on the sidelines of the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly (WHA79) for the launch of the Global Health Emergency Corps (GHEC) Strategy, a shared vision to build an emergency-ready and resilient health workforce in every country by 2030. The side event,...
Speech by Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. Open Briefing – Introduction to WHA79: Can Global Health Make Progress Amid Rupture?
17 MAY 2026 Thank you to the Graduate Institute and the UN Foundation for convening this space year after year. That discipline of accountability matters more than ever right now. The question today is whether global health can still make progress amid rupture. My answer is YES. But only if we are honest about where we stand and bold about what...
End of Mission Statement by Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, on her first official visit to Libya
13 May 2026 – I conclude my visit to Libya with genuine respect for the determination and professionalism I witnessed across the health sector. Over four days, I met with senior officials, national institutions, health workers, development partners, UN colleagues, and patients and their families. I visited health facilities and emergency...
‘Invest in, empower and protect nurses and midwives’: WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region marks International Nurses Day and International Day of the Midwife 2026
11 May 2026, Cairo, Egypt – Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean convened a regional webinar to mark International Day of the Midwife and International Nurses Day, bringing together health professionals, policy-makers, key partners, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and the International Confederation...
Opening Remarks by DR HANAN BALKHY, REGIONAL DIRECTOR WHO EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN REGION at the International Nurses Day Webinar
11 MAY 2026 Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, partners, Dear nurses and midwives, It is a pleasure to welcome you to this event marking the International Day of the Midwife and International Nurses Day. Across the Eastern Mediterranean Region, health systems are under sustained strain—and it is the workforce, particularly nurses and...
WHO collaboration with UNRSF: improving motorcycle safety across the Eastern Mediterranean Region
10 May 2026, Cairo, Egypt – On Monday 4 May 2026, the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) released its 2025 Annual Impact Report. The Report showcases UNRSF-supported initiatives covering 58 countries and 88 municipalities. Delivered measurable results are presented across 5 critical pathways to impact: addressing high-risk factors; safer...
First meeting of the Eastern Mediterranean Region Health Financing Taskforce
7 May 2026, Cairo, Egypt – The first meeting of the Eastern Mediterranean Region Health Financing Taskforce convened virtually on Sunday, 3 May 2026. Co-chaired by Egypt and Oman, the Taskforce includes representative from ministries of health and finance from across the Region. Established by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern...
Ending malaria in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
25 April 2026, Cairo, Egypt – World Malaria Day 2026 comes at a critical moment. Under the theme “Driven to End Malaria: Now We Can. Now We Must”, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for urgent action to halt rising risks and get malaria elimination efforts in the Eastern Mediterranean Region back on track. Malaria is surging across parts...
WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean launches AI Community of Practice for Disaster and Emergency Response Surveillance
16 April 2026, Cairo, Egypt — The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean has launched a Community of Practice on artificial intelligence for disaster and emergency response surveillance through the WHO Collaboratory platform. The initiative brings together national authorities, practitioners, researchers,...
