1 September 2025, Cairo, Egypt – A sub-regional tabletop simulation exercise (SimEx), held in Cairo from 18 to 20 August 2025, tested national and cross-border coordination mechanisms for public health threats posed by mass population movement. The exercise brought together representatives and technical experts from 4 North African countries –...

The challenge in Iraq Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a severe viral disease that can be transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks or contact with the blood and tissue of infected animals. The disease is characterized by fever, muscle aches, headache and bleeding and has a high fatality rate, ranging from 10%–40%. In Iraq, CCHF...

23 March 2025, Cairo, Egypt – On 12 March 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO)classified the Saudi Disaster Medical Assistance Team (SDMAT) as an Emergency Medical Team (EMT) Type 2. The classification reflects SDMAT’s unwavering dedication and exceptional capabilities in disaster response and emergency medical care. The announcement followed a...

4 March 2025, Cairo, Egypt – In an increasingly interconnected world facing a growing number of complex health emergencies, strengthening global health security is vital. To address this critical need, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean convened a subregional workshop in Cairo from 11 to 13 February...

26 February 2025, Aden, Yemen – An infodemic is when too much information, including false and misleading information, circulates in digital and physical environments during a disease outbreak. Infodemics can cause confusion and risk-taking behaviours that can harm health, lead to mistrust in health authorities and undermine the public health...

27 September 2024, Salalah, Oman – Strengthening global health security requires a coordinated response to public health emergencies. Recognizing this, the World Health Organization's Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean conducted a subregional training workshop in Salalah, Oman, focused on enhancing the capacities of national...

15 September 2024, Cairo, Egypt – Protecting communities from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats requires constant vigilance and preparedness. In a proactive move, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, in partnership with the WHO Country Office in Egypt and the Egyptian...

The aim of the IHR is to help the international community prevent and respond to acute public health risks that have the potential to cross borders and threaten people worldwide19 December 2023 – In Muscat, Oman, the World Health Organization (WHO) initiated a pivotal workshop aimed at enhancing Oman's ability to detect and respond to chemical,...

The aim of the IHR is to help the international community prevent and respond to acute public health risks that have the potential to cross borders and threaten people worldwide 10 February 2023 – In early February 2023, the Ministry of Health in Kuwait, with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern...

27 December 2018 ─ “We must work together to make the world better prepared for health emergencies by measurably improving the resilience of our health systems,’’ was the core message conveyed from Regional Director Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari to participants at the seventh regional stakeholders meeting to review the Implementation of International...