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Eighty percent of WHO-supported facilities in Afghanistan risk shutdown by June
17 March 2025, Kabul, Afghanistan – The World Health Organization (WHO) in Afghanistan is deeply concerned that funding shortages could force the closure of 80% of WHO-supported essential health care services. Millions, including vulnerable populations such as women, children, the elderly, the displaced and returnees, will be left without access...
On International Women’s Day WHO calls for accelerated action on gender equality
6 March 2025 – “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, celebrated each year on 8 March, resonates deeply with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) commitment to promote gender equality in the health sector across the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Women are the backbone of the...
Cancer surveillance in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: a 10-year IARC-WHO collaboration
5 March 2025, Cairo, Egypt – In 2024, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean celebrated 10 years of collaboration supporting cancer surveillance. The IARC-WHO Regional Office partnership has ensured a decade of progress in the development of...
Obesity Day 2025: addressing the growing burden of obesity
On the occasion of Obesity Day, 4 March 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for urgent action to tackle the growing obesity problem which is now recognized as one of the most significant public health challenges of our time. This year’s theme, Building a healthy future: tackling obesity through prevention and care, serves as a...
World Hearing Day 2025
3 March 2025, Cairo, Egypt – The theme of World Hearing Day 2025, marked annually on 3 March, builds on the previous year’s focus on changing mindsets towards ear and hearing care. This year’s campaign aims to encourage individuals to recognize the importance of ear and hearing health and inspire them to change behaviour to protect their hearing...
WHO Regional Director’s address to the Policy Dialogue to Scale Up the Implementation of the Regional Director’s Flagship Initiative to Strengthen the Public Health Response to Substance Use in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 28 February 2025
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 28 February 2025 Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Partners, and colleagues, As this policy dialogue on strengthening the public health response to substance use draws to a close, I am heartened by the dedication and commitment you have shown over the past three days, as articulated in the consensus statement...
Humanitarian access improves quality of polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip
Polio campaign in Gaza Strip reaches around 603 000 children with better access 28 February 2025, Jerusalem/Amman/Geneva – A five-day mass polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip concluded on Wednesday, reaching nearly 603 000 children under 10 years of age with novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) following comprehensive, simultaneous...
WHO and NRC address rising substance use in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
26–28 February 2025, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean and the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) in Abu Dhabi, a WHO collaborating centre for substance use, are convening a high-level policy dialogue to strengthen the public health response to substance use in...
WHO Regional Director’s address to the Policy Dialogue to Scale Up the Implementation of the Regional Director’s Flagship Initiative to Strengthen the Public Health Response to Substance Use in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
26 February 2025 Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Partners, We are gathered here today to discuss an extremely grave and urgent matter. A matter that destroys individuals, tears families apart and eviscerates communities. A situation that has only worsened in recent years and―in many corners of our region―is spiralling out of control. Ladies and...
WHO and King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre expand life-saving health interventions with new agreements at Riyadh Humanitarian Forum
Agreements strengthen cholera response and malaria prevention in Yemen, boost global polio eradication efforts and support dialysis treatment for Sudanese refugees Riyadh 25 February 2025 – The World Health Organization (WHO) and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) agreed a series of new pledges to deliver life-saving...
