19 February 2023
19 February 2023 | Cairo – Oman has launched its 2023 national nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) survey for people aged between 14 and 60 years old. The launch, under the auspices of Undersecretary of Health Affairs, was attended by the WHO Representative in Oman and national stakeholders. The...
18 August 2022
In 2022, Oman took action in combatting trans-fatty acids, when it issued a ban on the production, import and/or marketing of partially hydrogenated oils and food products in which these oils are used. The ban was issued by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and Water Resources, and it came...
15 June 2022
Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Near East and North Africa Region, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) Middle East and North Africa Region are convening a...
21 April 2022
The WHO Country Office in Sudan delivering a shipment of essential medicines for inpatient management of wasting in Khartoum. © WHO / Ansari, Aurangzaib How did Sudan do it? How did WHO support Sudan? A robust national nutrition information system is essential for collecting timely, regular and quality disaggregated data to assess nutrition...
29 June 2021
Joint press release by FAO, ESCWA, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO 24 June 2021, Cairo – A United Nations study indicates that hunger in the Arab Region continues to rise, threatening the Region’s efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Zero Hunger goal. The latest edition of the...
26 May 2021
In 1981, health officials from around the world gathered at the World Health Assembly to address aggressive marketing tactics by the infant and young child feeding industry, which was promoting formula feeding over breastfeeding and causing a dramatic increase in infant morbidity and mortality. The result was the International Code...
21 March 2021
From the Regional Directors of UNICEF, FAO, WFP and WHO Amman/Cairo, 27 MAY 2020 “Governments and partners across the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA) are working around the clock to protect communities from coronavirus disease (COVID-19). While these efforts are saving many lives, they are having a critical impact...
18 March 2021
Over the past 10 years Arab State food systems have had a mixed record in reaching the goals of food security and nutrition. Though there has been progress in reducing the number of hungry people, much of this was erased by growing conflict in the Region since 2010. The Region has...
18 March 2021
The World Health Organization’s Regional Meeting in Sharjah opened alongside the My Health 7th Regional Conference, organized by the Health Promotion Department of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA) and held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness Dr Sheikh...
18 March 2021
In 2017, the Food Fortification Initiative celebrated its 15 year anniversary, where it honoured 15 fortification champions from different sectors and different parts of the world. From WHO's Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh (right), the Regional Adviser for Nutrition, is one of these champions. He claims that...
18 March 2021
Nutrition clinics have become central to tackling obesity in Bahrain. In 2007, the country had one of the highest rates of overweight and obesity in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, with 33% of adults aged over 20 classified as overweight, of whom 36% were obese. The clinics have delivered impressive...
18 March 2021
Bahrain is the first country in the Eastern Mediterranean Region to have eliminated iodine deficiency disorders. Bahrain was declared free of iodine deficiency disorders by the Ministry of Health of Bahrain in 2014. Iodine deficiency disorders are a preventable global health problem that threaten around one fifth of the world’s population....
18 March 2021
The regional nutrition strategy (2010–2019) urges all countries in the Region to develop programmes to suit their situations and resources. In response, the United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Health and other government agencies formed a National Nutrition Committee to draft a national strategy for reducing obesity, diabetes and other diet-related...
01 March 2021
On World Obesity Day, 4 March, the World Health Organization is calling on everyone to take action to combat the obesity epidemic by working together to address its many root causes to create happier, longer and healthier lives. By raising awareness and improving access to appropriate information, we can combat...