HE the Minister of Health Dr Ali Al-Mrabet and Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Ms Nayla Nawira Al-Qanji sign charter to address environmental health threats in Tunisia, accompanied by acting WHO Representative Ms Joumana George Hermez (far right)

21 April 2022 – On World Health Day, under the theme “Our planet, our health”, the WHO country office in Tunisia organized an event to advocate for renewed commitment to addressing environmental health threats.

The event was attended by HE the Minister of Health Dr Ali Al-Mrabet and Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Ms Nayla Nawira Al-Qanji, with the participation of  Ministry of Health and other government officials and representatives of civil society organizations.

After a traditional Tunisian Ramadan iftar during a scientific event organized for the occcasion HE Dr Ali Mrabet praised WHO's continuing support to Tunisia's health system and expressed the Ministry of Health's intention to strengthen environmental health programmes and for their integration into the national health strategy. Following an address by the acting WHO Representative Ms Joumana George Hermez and video message of WHO's Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, scientific studies were presented by experts to raise awareness of environmental hazards to health in Tunisia.

The event concluded with the ministers signing a charter in which they committed to addressing environmental threats to reduce their impact on health. Additional ministers, such as HE the Minister for the Environment and Minister of Transport, will add their names to the charter in due course.