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Better antimicrobial use data to accelerate action on antimicrobial resistance
3 June 2024 – Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing public health threat in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and globally. The Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) project estimates that 123 834 deaths in the Region in 2019 were directly due to sepsis caused by resistant bacteria, while a further 341 097 deaths were associated...
Awards for outstanding contributions to public health to be presented at Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly
30 May 2024, Geneva, Switzerland/Cairo, Egypt – Eight awards are to be presented at the Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly to people and institutions from around the world for their outstanding contributions to public health in their countries and globally. Four of the awardees are from the Eastern Mediterranean Region. A special awards...
Message from Dr Hanan Balkhy WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day
31 May 2024 Young people are at risk. They are being targeted by the tobacco industry to take up traditional and new tobacco products. The industry is desperate to attract the younger generation. It is using different promotional activities, different products and even false health claims to achieve this purpose. The most recent data from the...
Engaging journalists on promoting IPC and hand hygiene to save lives
29 May 2024 – World Hand Hygiene Day (WHHD) has been marked for 16 years to advocate for hand hygiene as an evidence-based, practical approach to infection prevention and control (IPC) in health care settings. This helps limit the risk of epidemics and pandemics and control the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Countries the world over,...
High-level panel discussion on health in Eastern Mediterranean Region explores ways to move from crisis to opportunity
28 May 2024, Geneva, Switzerland – A partnership event to highlight health challenges and opportunities and the WHO journey in the Eastern Mediterranean Region was held in Geneva on 25 May, ahead of the Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly. Hosted by the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy and fellow senior...
WHO welcomes funding support from KSrelief for critical health response operations in Sudan, Syria, and Yemen
25 May 2024 – The World Health Organization (WHO) today signed funding agreements with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) valued at USD 19.4 million to jointly address global health challenges including in emergency responses. The support will reinforce WHO operations and programmes in three countries namely Sudan, Syria,...
Address by Dr Hanan Balkhy Regional Director WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region to the tenth global partners meeting on nursing and midwifery
23 May 2024 Your Royal Highness Princess Muna Al Hussein, Dr Pamela Cipriano, President of the International Council of Nurses, Ms Sandra Oyarzo Torres, President of the International Confederation of Midwives, Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to join you today. Nurses and midwives are dear to my heart and high on my agenda. They are...
International Day to End Obstetric Fistula: call for quality maternal health care for all
23 May 2024, Cairo, Egypt – Each year, globally, there are up to 100 000 new cases of obstetric fistula – a devastating but largely preventable health condition. Over 2 million girls and women worldwide are estimated to be living with untreated fistulas. In the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, numerous girls and women across several countries...
World Hypertension Day on 17 May 2024: Know your blood pressure, and control it!
16 May 2024 – Hypertension is a silent yet deadly public health problem. Today, on World Hypertension Day 2024, we remind all adults to get your blood pressure measured accurately and control it to live longer. Early detection and careful management of hypertension are vital. Hypertension is a leading risk factor for premature death and...
Statement on Syria by WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy
18 May 2024 – I recently returned from Syria, where my goal was to gain a better understanding of the situation, the needs, and the challenges facing our humanitarian work on the ground. I met with senior Syrian officials, key donors, and partners in Damascus. I also visited Homs, Hama, and Aleppo governorates to meet with local health...
