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WHO validates elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in Libya
Photo credit: National Committee for the Prevention of blindness, Ministry of health Libya Geneva | Cairo | Tripoli, 18 February – The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced that Libya has eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, a landmark victory for public health in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region. This hard-won achievement...
WHO and Islamic Development Bank deepen collaboration to scale health investments across the region
WHO and IsDP meeting to explore enhanced collaboration and opportunities to scale health investments across the Region. Photo credit: WHO Cairo, Egypt, 11 February 2026 – The World Health Organization’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Cairo Regional Hub held this week a high-level coordination...
Humanitarian health needs in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region remain highest globally in 2026
Photo credit: WHO Cairo, 6 February 2026 — The World Health Organization (WHO) requires US$ 633 million to respond to health emergencies across the Eastern Mediterranean Region in 2026, as the Region continues to face the largest concentration of humanitarian needs worldwide. An additional US$ 56 million is required to sustain WHO’s Regional...
Integrating palliative care into oncology services in Egypt
Participants at the 5th OncoEgypt Conference bringing together health professionals and partners to advance collaboration in cancer prevention diagnosis and care Cairo, Egypt, 29 January – The 5th OncoEgypt Conference, which took place on 11–12 December 2025, stands out as more than a scientific gathering. It became a milestone in a growing...
Statement by Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director at the health emergencies presser
27 January 2026 As we enter 2026, the Eastern Mediterranean Region carries the highest humanitarian burden anywhere in the world, with an estimated 115 million people needing assistance this year alone. Nearly half of global humanitarian needs are concentrated in this Region, yet funding is moving in the wrong direction. In 2025, WHO’s emergency...
WHO and CAF promote healthy lifestyles at the U-15 African Schools Football Championship
Young players from North African countries in active interaction during WHO workshop on health and sports as part of partnership activities with CAF and UNAF Photo credit: WHO/EMRO 26 January 2026, Cairo, Egypt – The World Health Organization (WHO) held a training workshop yesterday in the context of its partnership with the Confederation of...
WHO Regional Director advances health cooperation and access to medical products during visit to Saudi Arabia
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | 16 January 2026 – WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr Hanan Balkhy, has concluded an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 11 to 14 January, during which she held a series of high-level meetings to strengthen collaboration on regional and global health priorities, including equitable access to...
Sudan: 1000 days of war deepen the world’s worst health and humanitarian crisis
9 January 2026, Geneva, Cairo, Port Sudan – Today, the conflict in Sudan reaches its 1000th day, with over 20 million people requiring health assistance and 21 million desperately needing food. Nearly three years of continuous violence, severe access constraints, and reduced funding have turned Sudan into the worst humanitarian crisis globally. An...
Shaping WHO’s future in the Region: voices from our country representatives
20 December, Cairo, Egypt – From 25 to 27 November 2025, World Health Organization (WHO) representatives from across the Eastern Mediterranean Region came together to reflect on their shared vision for health in a rapidly changing global landscape and identify practical pathways to move from vision to action and drive WHO’s mission across diverse...
Working together for healthy ageing
On 8–10 December 2025, the Qatari Ministry of Public Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) held a capacity-building training-of-trainers workshop on integrated care for older people (ICOPE) for participants from Egypt, Jordan and Pakistan. The workshop was sponsored and generously supported by His Excellency the Minister of Public Health...
