14 October 2024, Cairo, Egypt – An unprecedented series of natural disasters, prolonged conflicts and humanitarian emergencies have left the Eastern Mediterranean Region in desperate need of innovative approaches to build a healthier future for its 750 million inhabitants. Expanding timely and equitable access to life-saving medicines and...

14 October 2024, Cairo, Egypt – WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy introduced the new Regional Strategic Operational Plan for the coming 4 years for review and endorsement during the Seventy-first session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean. With the ambitious goal of enabling all peoples...

Honourable Minister Dr Ali Haji Abubakar, Honourable Minister Dr Hanan Mohamed Al-Kuwari, Regional Director Dr Hanan Balkhy, Honourable Ministers and heads of delegation, Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends, Good morning, greetings from Berlin, and I apologise that I cannot be with you in person. I thank Qatar for hosting this year’s...

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Your Excellencies Dr Tedros, Director General of the WHO Dr Hanan Balky, Regional Director of the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Honourable Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته It is with immense pleasure and honour that Qatar is hosting this significant event, the Seventy-First session of the WHO...

Your Excellencies, Regional Director, Dr Hanan Balkhy Distinguished guests, Assalamu Alaikum, Good morning, It is with profound gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility that I stand before you today as the Federal Minister of Health of our beloved nation, Somalia, and as Chair of the seventieth session of the Regional Committee held last year in...

Your Excellencies Ministers of Health and Heads of Delegations, Director-General, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is my honour and pleasure to welcome you to the 71st session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean. This is my first Regional Committee as Regional Director, and I would like to start by thanking our outgoing Chair, His...

11 October 2024, Doha, Qatar ‒ The Seventy-first session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean will be held in Doha, Qatar from 14 to 17 October 2024 under the theme health beyond borders: action, access, equity. Ministers of health and high-level representatives of the 22 Member States and territories of WHO’s Eastern...

I would like to welcome you to this media briefing ahead of the Seventy-first session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean which will convene between the 14 and 17 October in Doha, Qatar under the theme Health beyond borders: action, access, equity. As you will be aware, this year’s session – my first as Regional Director – is being...

3 October 2024, Oman – World Health Organization Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy visited the Sultanate of Oman between 30 September–3 October, where she met with H.E. the Minister of Health Dr Hilal bin Ali Al Sabti and other senior officials and participated in the First Omani Healthy City Conference in Salalah,...

30 September 2024, Cairo, Egypt – The Eastern Mediterranean Region faces a huge burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including chronic kidney disease (CKD). The Region’s frequent humanitarian emergencies –including conflicts, natural disasters and public health crises – place enormous strain on health care systems, making it particularly difficult to...