Ministers of health and senior delegates from the Region’s 22 Member States attended the Seventy-second session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean. Photo credit: ©WHO23 October 2025, Cairo, Egypt – The Seventy-second session of the Regional Committee (RC72) for the Eastern Mediterranean was held from 15 to 17 October 2025 in Cairo, Egypt, under the theme Together for a healthier future.
The Regional Committee is WHO’s governing body in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. It brings together ministers of health and senior delegates from 22 Member States and territories to address critical public health issues.
Highlights of RC72 included the adoption of 5 resolutions. They covered:
- zero-dose children and advancing measles and rubella elimination;
- health systems recovery in fragile and conflict-affected settings;
- a regional framework to strengthen palliative care in hospitals, primary care and communities;
- recommendations to minimize biological risks and enhance safety in health laboratories; and
- finalizing and introducing a new operational action plan for climate change and health in the Region.
Member States also endorsed a call to action on breast cancer, the leading cancer among women in the Region.
Virtual Week
Ahead of the Seventy-second session, a pre-RC72 Virtual Week was held between 29 September and 2 October.
H.E. the Minister of Health of Bahrain Dr Jaleela bint Alsayed Jawad Hasan with Bahrain’s delegation. Photo credit: ©WHO The first side event of the Virtual Week focused on integrating antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and infection prevention and control (IPC) in primary health care facilities. Member States and partners shared their experiences in addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). They explored evidence-based practices, national and facility-level monitoring tools and digital systems to support IPC and AMS integration.
The session included country presentations that demonstrated how tailored strategies and system-level approaches are making a difference on the ground. Dr Samya Bahram, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health, Ministry of Health, Bahrain, described the introduction of key performance indicators for clinicians to monitor and reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions.
Primary health care is the foundation of health service delivery, and continued collaboration, innovation and investment in IPC and AMS in primary health care settings is vital to addressing AMR
WHO Faces for Health campaign
Amjad Al-Mahari, Bahrain’s nominee for the WHO Faces for Health campaign, exemplifies personal courage and innovation in health care that transcends borders and helps achieve Health for All.
Both the WHO Director-General and the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean highlighted Bahrain’s health innovations during their visit to Bahrain in 2025 and underscored Bahrain’s leadership in adopting advanced health solutions.
To read more about Amjad’s story and other nominees from the Region, please click the link below:
The next Regional Committee session (RC73) will be held in Cairo, Egypt, in October 2026.
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