I take pleasure in introducing the Web Site of the World Health
Organization's Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO).
The site has been established to make information on public health
easily and conveniently available to Member States, interested
agencies and individuals worldwide. Exploiting the many benefits of
the Internet, the site will improve access to information, improve
communications between EMRO staff and the health care community in
the Region and allow for speedier provision of information and
services to EMRO partners. This evolution means in particular that
WHO's presence on the Web has become strategic, based on the
perceived value and importance of electronic publishing though the
Internet.
The objectives of EMRO Web information services are:
to disseminate WHO/EMRO policy and scientific/technical
information;
to expand access to WHO and EMRO information to EMR Member
States and worldwide;
to increase efficiency and cut costs in producing and
distributing information;
to link information from various WHO sources and another
relevant scientific institutions worldwide, with specific
emphasis on information resources in the Region;
to promote awareness of WHO as a whole and EMRO in particular
and its activities.
EMRO will keep the site alive through regular updating and periodic
revision of information. Some documents have a very long retention
period, or are permanent, such as historical and policy documents,
topical reports, statistics and other facts, and commonly requested
materials. Other parts of the site will be automatically updated
while searching-dynamic links to EMRO databases ensure that content
is updated online. EMRO FTP archives will enable access to documents
that have exceeded their web retention period but may be needed from
time to time.
EMRO's Website aims to ensure that the widest range of users
interested in different types of health information have access to
it. The content of the site therefore includes three broad
categories of information:
WHO/EMRO policy is provided through the Regional Director's
reports, Regional Committee documentation, press releases, basic
information on technical units and activities;
Scientific and technical information is provided in three forms:
a) the full text of the Eastern Mediterranean health journal and
other EMRO scientific and technical publications.
b) bibliographic information in the form of searchable library
databases and regional indexes
c) technical papers presented at scientific and technical
meeting organized by the Regional Office;
Statistical and surveillance information is provided in the form
of country statistical profiles and disease surveillance with
regard to the six diseases of childhood targeted by WHO's
Expanded Programme on Immunization.
The site is at present in English, but we plan to publish it in
Arabic as well, particularly the Unified Medical Dictionary of
English medical terms and their Arabic equivalents and the
Health Education through Religion series.
We offer this site as a means of communication with health care
personnel in the Region including decision-makers, planners,
medical professionals and health workers. We hope they will
provide us with their feedback to make the site even more
relevant to their needs and more useful to them.
Hussein A.Gezairy, M.D., F.R.C.S.
Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean
Annual
reports
Regional
Committees
WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern
Mediterranean Fifty-sixth session
Fez, Morocco, 5–8 October 2009