22 September 2025 Excellencies, colleagues, friends, When we speak about liver disease, statistics can be overwhelming. But sometimes, a single life can shed light on an entire nation’s struggle against illness. Many of you will know Abdel Halim Hafez—the legendary Egyptian singer whose voice still moves hearts across the Arab world. He suffered...

The WHO held a three-day regional workshop on new vaccine introduction prioritization and sequencing, in Cairo, Egypt, from 31 August to 2 September 2025. The workshop brought together representatives from 14 countries of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region to strengthen national capacity for making proactive, evidence-informed decisions on the...

On 10 September 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean brought together an influential panel of more than 40 experts, health professionals ministry of health officials from Gaza and West Bank, and humanitarian organizations for a critical discussion on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the Gaza...

21 September 2025, Kabul, Afghanistan – Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are taking a heavy toll on Afghanistan health system. Heart disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic lung conditions account for 43% of deaths in the country, a figure expected to rise above 60% by 2030, mainly among women. Substance use and road traffic accidents further...

16 September 2025 Morocco Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues, and partners, A very warm welcome to you all. I begin by thanking our generous hosts—His Excellency Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, and His Excellency Amine Tahraoui, Minister of Health and Social Protection of...

Patient safety from the start! 16 September 2025, Cairo, Egypt – World Patient Safety Day, marked each year on 17 September, is an opportunity to raise public awareness, foster collaboration between stakeholders and mobilize to improve patient safety. The theme this year – “Safe care for every newborn and every child”, accompanied by the slogan...

Rabat, 15 September 2025 – The World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), together with the Kingdom of Morocco, today opened a landmark meeting in Rabat to launch the Health Emergency Leaders Network for Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean. This network is the first of its kind, bringing...

10 September 2025, Cairo, Egypt – Each year, on 10 September, World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) – organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and co-sponsored by WHO – focuses global attention on suicide prevention, uniting communities, organizations and governments with the shared belief that suicidal behaviour is a...

3 September 2025, Cairo, Egypt – In response to the urgent – and  growing ­– threat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses to global health, development and security, the World Health Organization (WHO) is developing a new Global Action Plan on AMR (AMR GAP 2.0) in line with Resolution WHA77.6 and the 2024 UN Political Declaration on AMR. As part of...

3 September 2025 Distinguished colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most urgent threats to global health, development, and security. It jeopardizes our ability to treat common infections, threatens food security, and erodes decades of progress in health. This is a rapidly evolving challenge—growing in scope, scale, and...