29 April 2025

29 April 2025, Riffa, Bahrain – The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Bahrain has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Royal University for Women (RUW) with a focus on health systems, women’s health and well-being and education. The memorandum reinforces WHO’s collaboration with academic institutions in Bahrain which is anchored in WHO’s mission to promote, provide and protect health and well-being for all, and the Organization’s Fourteenth General Programme of Work 2025–2028 (GPW 14) which focuses on advancing health equity and building health system resilience. The MoU recognizes that...

05 March 2025

5 March 2025, Saar, Bahrain – WHO conducted a 1-day mission to evaluate University College of Bahrain (UCB) as a health-promoting university. Health-promoting universities are an extension of the settings-based approach to health promotion which recognizes that universities have the potential to improve the health of the population by integrating health into the university's culture, processes and policies.  The field visit to the UCB campus was conducted by the Ministry of Health, Higher Education Council, WHO Country Office in Bahrain and the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. The external...

03 March 2025

25 February 2025, Muharraq, Bahrain – WHO conducted a 2-day mission – from 24–25 February – to Bahrain’s Muharraq Governorate as part of the healthy cities evaluation process. Representatives from the Ministry of Health joined the WHO Country Office in Bahrain and the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean during field visits to the governorate. WHO’s healthy cities programme aims to improve the health of populations by engaging communities in the promotion of health and well-being across all aspects of their lives. By promoting collaboration and the inclusion of Health...

16 February 2025

16 February 2025, Manama, Bahrain – Between 9 and 12 February, the World Health Organization (WHO) supported the Ministry of Health by conducting a 4-day training workshop on cause of death registration and coding. The workshop was inaugurated by Dr Samya Bahram, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health, Ministry of Health and Dr Eman Aly, Technical Officer, Department of Science, Information and Dissemination, WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. Thirty participants took part in the training, including physicians and medical coders from the health sector (Ministry of Health, Primary Healthcare Centres and...

04 December 2024

3 December 2024, Manama, Bahrain – Between 24 and 28 November, WHO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Government Hospitals, conducted a 5-day training workshop on the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI).  Breastfeeding has many health benefits for mothers and infants, and the first few days following delivery are a critical window for providing mothers with the support they need to breastfeed successfully.  Breast milk contains all the nutrients an infant needs in the first 6 months of life. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, with continued breastfeeding to...

26 November 2024

26 November 2024, Manama, Bahrain – WHO, in collaboration with Bahrain’s Ministry of Health and the Higher Education Council, conducted a 1-day introductory and advocacy workshop on health-promoting universities. The workshop was hosted by the American University of Bahrain, designated as a healthy university by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. The WHO health-promoting universities programme applies the settings-based healthy cities approach to a higher education context. It recognizes higher education institutions as important contributors to sustainable development through their role in protecting and advancing the health and well-being of...

20 November 2024

19 November 2024, Manama, Bahrain – WHO conducted a 3-day mission from 11 to 13 November to Bahrain’s Northern Governorate as part of the healthy city evaluation process. A delegation comprising representatives from the Ministry of Health, the WHO Country Office in Bahrain and the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean took part in the field visits. The WHO healthy city programme aims to improve the health of populations by involving communities to promote health and well-being and improve equity. By promoting collaboration across sectors and the inclusion of health in...

25 September 2024

24 September 2024, Manama, Bahrain – The WHO Country Office, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, organized a consensus-building workshop on the WHO-Bahrain Country Cooperation Strategy 2024–2026. The 19 September workshop addressed ways to strengthen cooperation between WHO and Bahrain in mutually agreed priority areas, guided by national health priorities, the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 and WHO’s General Programme of Work. Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health H.E. Dr Samya Ali Bahram and WHO Representative in Bahrain Dr Tasnim Atatrah inaugurated the workshop. “WHO and Bahrain have a long-standing and trusting partnership which...

09 September 2024

8 September 2024, Manama, Bahrain – WHO conducted a two-day mission between 21–22 August to Bahrain’s Capital Governorate as part of its evaluation as a healthy governorate. The field visit was conducted by the Ministry of Health, WHO Country Office in Bahrain and WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, in collaboration with the WHO Collaborating Centre (WHO-CC) for Healthy Cities in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The WHO Healthy Cities initiative creates a framework in which health and well-being can be promoted in complex urban environments in a sustainable way. Recognizing...

02 September 2024

20 August 2024, Manama, Bahrain – WHO conducted a one-day mission to evaluate the American University of Bahrain (AUBH) as a health-promoting university. The WHO Healthy Cities programme offers a framework for developing health-promoting universities. By integrating health into the university's culture, processes and policies, recognized universities can develop into model health-promoting settings. The field visit to the AUBH campus was conducted by the Ministry of Health, Higher Education Council, WHO Country Office in Bahrain and the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean in collaboration with the WHO Collaborating Centre for...

12 August 2024

4 August 2024, Manama, Bahrain – WHO organized a three-day refresher training workshop on Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) at the WHO Country Office in Bahrain between 21 and 23 July 2024. The workshop, facilitated by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean’s Health Emergency Information and Risk Assessment Unit, was attended by 10 participants from the Ministry of Health’s Public Health Directorate. Following on from a workshop held between 27 and 28 September 2022, it was the second training workshop on EIOS conducted in Bahrain. EIOS is the leading...

29 January 2024

29 January 2024, Manama, Bahrain – A 2-day mission was conducted in Manama, Bahrain, on 23–24 January 2024 to pilot a rapid mini evaluation of Bahrain’s seasonal influenza vaccination programme. Seasonal influenza causes high morbidity and mortality around the world each year. Although safe and effective influenza vaccines are available and have been in use for more than 60 years, uptake of influenza vaccines in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region remains suboptimal. There are several challenges to improving the coverage rate, such as lack of local evidence, competing health priorities, limited...

03 January 2024

2 January 2024, Manama, Bahrain – A workshop held in late 2023 sparked a healthy dialogue on WHO’s cooperation with Bahrain, helping to identify core focus areas for WHO collaboration over the next 2 years. Efforts in these areas will seek to promote, maintain, recover, and improve the health of all people, in line with the Government Plan 2023–2026. The WHO Country Office in Bahrain organized the 2-day Strategic and Operational Planning Workshop on 15–16 November 2023, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Her Excellency Dr Ejlal Al-Alawi, former Assistant...

03 January 2024

3 January 2024, Manama, Bahrain – To mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December 2023, WHO and Bahrain’s Ministry of Health jointly hosted “A Day for All” – an event to highlight the importance of mainstreaming disability inclusion across society. The event built on the success of the country’s “Public Spaces for All” campaign in 2022.  Participants engaged in a symbolic 800-metre walk around Sa’ada Seafront in Muharraq to show Bahrain’s commitment to inclusivity and to the United Nations motto, “Nothing About Us Without Us”. Community members,...

18 December 2023

18 December 2023, Manama, Bahrain – WHO ran a 3-day Multidisciplinary Health Communications and Community Engagement Capacity-Building Workshop in Manama, Bahrain, on 3–5 December 2023, under the direction of the Ministry of Health. The training aimed to enhance participants’ knowledge and practical skills, enabling them to respond to advances in health communications, behavioural insights, and draw lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic for emergency and risk communications. The multidisciplinary approach introduced various methodologies to plan and implement effective communication and engagement strategies targeting diverse audiences. These audiences included different age groups within communities,...

19 November 2023

Under the direction of the Supreme Council for Environment and the Ministry of Health, the WHO Country Office in Bahrain organized the Workshop on Conducting Climate Change and Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment and the Health National Adaptation Plan on 29–30 October 2023. The main aim of the workshop was to foster an outcome-oriented dialogue around the direct and indirect health impacts of climate change and the urgent need to build climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable health systems that can anticipate, respond to, cope with, recover from and adapt to climate-related shocks....

16 October 2023

15 October 2023, Manama, Bahrain – Led by Bahrain’s Ministry of Health, in collaboration with WHO, a one-day Healthy Cities Programme Exchange of Experiences Workshop and Photography Exhibition was held in Manama, Bahrain, on 5 October 2023. The sharing of experiences among cities can lead to capacity-building and hence to the sustainability of the Healthy Cities initiative in Bahrain. Bahrain currently has 4 Healthy Cities. Umm Al-Hassam was the country’s first city to be designated as such, in 2018. Manama followed in 2021 – becoming the first capital city in the...

06 September 2023

4 September 2023 – Led by the Ministry of Health in Bahrain, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, a 3-day workshop on the first phase of self-evaluation of the second round of the joint external evaluation (JEE), was held in Manama, Bahrain, on 3–5 September 2023. Under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), WHO Member States are required to develop their capacity to rapidly detect, assess, notify, and respond to unusual health events of potential international concern. The IHR Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, developed by the WHO Secretariat, consists of...

22 August 2023

The Healthy Cities Programme was first implemented in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region in 1990 to facilitate commitment on health and well-being at the highest level, and to unify vision and commitment to public health development for healthier and sustainable environments where people live, work, and thrive.  A healthy city strives to create an environment that cares for the physical, mental, and social well-being of its inhabitants and places equity, inclusion, and sustainable development at the centre of local policies, strategies, and programmes. Bahrain was among the first countries in the...

08 August 2023

8 June 2023 – World Breastfeeding Week, held during the first week of August, is supported by WHO, UNICEF, ministries of health and civil society partners. Over the last decade, there has been a 10% increase in exclusive breastfeeding globally to 48%, which is remarkable progress. However, to achieve the target of 70% of infants exclusively breastfed by 2030, barriers faced by women and families must be addressed.  Each year, the campaign for World Breastfeeding Week has a different theme, which aims to promote supportive environments for women to breastfeed. This...

02 August 2023

2 August 2023 – A 2-day mission was conducted in Muscat, Oman, on 30–31 July 2023 to exchange knowledge, experiences and best practices on the use and implementation of the workload indicators of staffing needs (WISN) tool between the 2 neighbouring countries of Bahrain and Oman. The mission follows a WISN pilot workshop that was conducted in Bahrain in March 2023 to introduce the WISN methodology and build the capacity of technical staff. Workload indicators of staffing needs Bahrain is undergoing health care system reform in line with the Government's plan (2023–2026). Under...

02 August 2023

11 July 2023 – The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean held a 3-day training workshop for WHO technical staff on scientific writing and the development of policy briefs in Cairo, Egypt, on 4–6 July 2023. The workshop aimed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to write effectively and contribute to the development of technical materials and articles published in peer-reviewed journals. The workshop focused on the purposes of, and ethical issues related to peer review, the importance of copyright, and WHO rules and procedures related to copyright...

18 June 2023

  Initiated as a global movement in 1998, World No Tobacco Day is marked annually on 31 May, as a call to action to recognize the dangers of tobacco use, the tactics and businesses practices used by the tobacco industry, the global efforts to tackle the tobacco epidemic, and all forms of harm caused by tobacco products and the tobacco industry worldwide.  The theme for World No Tobacco Day 2023 is “Grow Food, Not Tobacco”, a campaign that encourages countries to end subsidies for tobacco farming and encourage farmers to switch to sustainable...

07 June 2023

7 June 2023 – The Seventy-sixth World Health Assembly (WHA) was held from 21 to 30 May 2023 in Geneva, Switzerland under the theme of saving lives, driving health for all. WHO’s 75th anniversary was also marked and the role of the Organization in improving public health since its inception. Her Excellency the Minister of Health of Bahrain Dr Jaleela bint Alsayed Jawad Hasan chaired WHA76 Committee “A” that discussed key technical areas, including universal health coverage, primary health care and emergency preparedness. In cooperation with WHO and the SUN movement, H.E. the Minister...

06 April 2023

6 April 2023 – Under the Patronage of His Excellency Lieutenant-General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa, President of the Supreme Council of Health, in the presence of Her Excellency Dr Jaleela bint AlSayed Jawad Hasan, Minister of Health in Bahrain, and Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Rana bint Isa bin Duaij Al-Khalifa, Secretary-General of the Higher Education Council (HEC), Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, designated 5 universities in Bahrain as WHO health-promoting universities. On receiving the award, Her Excellency Dr Jaleela bint AlSayed Jawad Hasan, Minister of...

06 April 2023

6 April 2023 – With a focus on empowering healthy environments in sustainable societies, the WHO healthy cities initiative creates frameworks to enable the promotion of health and equity within the foundations of urban development, receiving recognition for multisectoral empowerment and innovation on the part of communities to improve health and well-being for all.  In 2018, Um Alhassam was awarded as the first healthy city in Bahrain, with Manama following shortly after, by fulfilling the required criteria in 2020, and with the additional accolade of being announced as the first healthy cities...

06 April 2023

6 April 2023 – Led by the Ministry of Health in Bahrain, and facilitated by the WHO Country Office, a 3-day training of trainers simulation exercise (SimEx) for preparedness for health security took place on 20–22 February 2023. The training was supported by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, and with the Gulf Center for Disease Prevention and Control (GCDC) as facilitator, a statement was issued bearing testament to the country’s commitment to achieving Triple Billion Goal 2: 1 billion more people better protected from health emergencies. Attended by over...

06 April 2023

6 April 2023 – A high-level technical meeting and ministerial conference on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health in small island developing states (SIDS) was co-hosted by WHO and the Government of Barbados, on 17–19 January 2023. The meeting brought together experts and government representatives from across global small island state networks, providing a platform to discuss NCDs, including obesity and mental health, as well as the impact of climate change, and of COVID-19 on health and economies in these particularly vulnerable states. The conference recommendations will inform the outcome document of...

25 January 2023

On the occasion of the 69th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, Her Excellency Dr Jaleela S. Jawad, Minister of Health of Bahrain, shared insight into the success behind addressing health care priorities in Bahrain and how these efforts could create impact in the global exchange of best practices, while advancing the realization of sustainable health care in Bahrain. Read the full interview

23 January 2023

23 January 2023 – On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the WHO Country Office in Bahrain and UN-Habitat in Bahrain jointly hosted Public Spaces for All; an event to highlight the importance of mainstreaming disability-inclusion opportunities across our societies, in solidarity with the UN sentiment: ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’. Addressing the key role accessibly public spaces play in improving physical activity and social inclusion, Public Spaces for All was held together with 6x key national counterparts, under the patronage of the Supreme Health Council, and...

04 January 2023

4 January 2023 – The WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office 2021 Incident Management Support Team (IMST) progress report details the main figures related to COVID-19 activities in 2021, and describes the main country support and regional-level activities for each pillar in 2021. Bahrain's successful approach to the COVID-19 response, highlighting the continuity of essential health services in Bahrain

01 December 2022

1 December 2022 – WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination met virtually in its fourth meeting on 1–3 November 2022. The meeting was attended by members of the Verification Commission, Chairpersons of the National Verification Committee, representatives of national immunization programmes, ministries of health and immunization partners, the Secretariat of the Regional Verification Commission in Immunization, Vaccine Preventable Diseases and Polio Transition and the Director of Department of Communicable Diseases from WHO's Regional Office, and technical staff from the Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals in WHO headquarters.  Commssion...

16 November 2022

16 November 2022 – During her career with WHO, Dr Tasnim Atatrah has worked in various capacities; leading emergency operations, public health humanitarian response, resource mobilization and promoting health and well-being among populations. With operational experience spanning 12 countries across WHO's Eastern Mediterranean and European regions, Dr Atatrah was appointed as WHO Representative in Bahrain in 2021. In this interview, she discusses how the establishment of a new Country Office in Bahrain is expected to contribute to promoting and protecting health and well-being in the country, the steps taken by the...

20 October 2022

20 October 2022 – WHO organized a training workshop on epidemic intelligence from open sources (EIOS) that was conducted 27–28 September 2022 in the WHO Country Office in Bahrain, with participants from the Ministry of Health, Health Promotion Directorate, primary health care centres, Salmaniya Medical Complex, Ministry of Health Public Health Directorate, and Ministry of Health Communication Directorate in Bahrain. The EIOS system is currently being deployed or planned for implementation in 13 countries in WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Region, including Bahrain. The training focused on the basic concepts of surveillance and early warning...

20 October 2022

20 October 2022 – In the statement below, Dr Tasnim Atatrah, WHO Representative in Bahrain, highlights the efficient measures taken by Bahrain upon detection of the first case of monkeypox infection in the country, as indicated by the preparedness and effectiveness of the health system in the country, further enhanced by the effective coordination exerted across all relevant authorities, including in the areas of epidemiological investigation, surveillance and readiness of laboratories, isolation and treatment facilities. Read the statement [in Arabic]

20 October 2022

20 October 2022 – A One Health national bridging workshop took place from 4 to 6 October in Bahrain; a demonstration of the country’s commitment towards advancing intersectoral collaboration across human-animal-environment sectors. The One Health approach is a multisectoral initiative that aims to address this complex array of threats. It recognizes that the health of humans, animals and the environment is interconnected and applies practices that support collective and coordinated action among different sectors in a more effective, efficient and sustainable way. It is also aligned with WHO's regional vision of “Health...

01 October 2022

1 October 2022 – Her Excellency Dr Jaleela bint AlSayed Jawad Hasan, Minister of Health in Bahrain, participated in the “Friends of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)”, during a side event on “Mobilizing resources and technical support with and for Member States to deliver NCD and mental health-related Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) targets”. Highlighting Bahrain’s commitment towards achieving NCD and mental health-related SDGs, Her Excellency affirmed the commitment of the Government to strengthen efforts to prevent chronic NCDs and ways to combat them,...

13 May 2022

13 May 2022 - Inaugurated on 26 July 2021, the WHO Country Office in Bahrain, located in the capital city of Manama, became the 20th country office in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. Hitting the ground running, the country office addressed Bahrain’s health priorities and capitalized on opportunities to achieve WHO global and regional strategies. Several concrete outputs were achieved through the provision of advisory services, convening of stakeholders, strengthening multisectoral partnerships, and technical collaboration all aligned with WHO’s Vision 2030 Eastern Mediterranean Region. As a new country office, the...

24 January 2022

24 January 2022 – Consistent with the international health agenda and the strategic priories of "WHO's Thirteenth General Programme of Work", the WHO country office in Bahrain will continue to support the Ministry of Health and work towards achieving the agreed-upon joint work plan for the next biennium (2022–2023), focusing on the following priorities. Achieving universal health coverage The WHO country office will continue to provide needed technical support to strengthen health systems and ensure that all people have access to high-quality promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative health services that are appropriate...

24 January 2022

24 January 2022 – Dr Tasnim Atatrah, WHO Representative to Bahrain, was invited to share key WHO insight and recommendations on mental health in the workplace during the third Human Resources Development International Conference, hosted by the Bahrain Society for Training and Development. Held under the patronage of H.E. Mr Jameel Bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, Minister of Labour and Social Development, Dr Atatrah's opening presentation introduced a national audience of professionals, representing various industries, to regional, and global mental health indicators and insights into how to advance the realization of healthy workplace...

24 January 2022

24 January 2022 – Dr Tasnim Atatrah, WHO Representative, represented WHO insights in a 2-part interview series, which was featured in Bahrain's national publication "الطبي" Medical magazine. Dr Atatrah said tha Bahrain could be classed as an incubator for success, sharing its experience with other countries". Read the interviews https://dailypr-me.com/index.php/en/med107/213-news-37/1964-2021-12-06-19-06-24 http://dailypr-me.com/index.php/en/med108/215-news-38/1996-2022-01-02-05-19-25

04 November 2021

26 July 2021, Manama, Bahrain – Today, WHO officially opened a country office in Bahrain. Located in the capital city of Manama, the new office is the 20th WHO country office to open in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region, and the 152nd WHO country office globally.  The office will enable WHO to work on the ground with national health authorities, United Nations partners and a range of stakeholders in all sectors to foster public health collaboration at the national, regional and international levels.   Her Excellency the Minister of Health Faeqa Bint Saeed Al...