Cairo, 11 October 2022 ‒ In presenting his annual report for 2021, Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, underlined how the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to exact a heavy toll, with a total of 28 million cases confirmed and more than 348 000 deaths reported across the Region by October 2022. As the pandemic...

11 October 2022 – A new approach to risk communication and community engagement in Iraqserved toexpand emergency response capabilities at a time when COVID-19, cholera and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever were all in circulation. WHO and the Iraqi Ministry of Health developed a multifaceted programme to expand risk awareness and refine...

Tuesday 11 October 2022 - Members of the Regional Subcommittee for Polio Eradication and Outbreaks in the Eastern Mediterranean reviewed recent progress during the 69th session of the Regional Committee. It was the sixth meeting of the subcommittee since it was formed during the 67th Regional Committee. During the meeting Member States and...

Cairo, 10 October 2022 ‒ The 69th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean was inaugurated today in Cairo by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General; Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean; and H.E. Dr Ahmed Robleh Abdilleh, Minister of Health of Djibouti and Vice-chair of...

10 October 2022 – Today’s pre-Regional Committee technical meetings included the launch of the British Medical Journal’s (BMJ) “Global Health Special Issue on Health for Peace”. Building on the work of the Global Health for Peace Initiative (GHPI), the issue documents experiences from across WHO regions in order to better understand the complex...

10 October 2022 – This morning, WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean delegates took part in a Walk the Talk event in the Child’s Park opposite the WHO Regional Office. Led by senior health officials, the event kickstarted the 69th session of the Regional Committee. Starting at 07:30 with a walk through the park, the gentle stroll...

10 October 2022 – Each of the 22 countries and territories in the Region has its own story of determination, diplomacy, creativity, optimism and success in working towards realizing our shared vision of Health for All by All. These stories are highlighted during this year’s Regional Committee. In Afghanistan, where the health needs of the...

6 October 2022, Cairo ‒ After 2 years of being held virtually, the 69th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean will be held in hybrid modality this year from 10 to 13 October 2022. Ministers of health and high-level representatives of the 22 countries of WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region, along with partner...

6 October 2022 – We are just a few days away from the start of the 69th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean. The Regional Committee is WHO’s main governing body at the regional level. The theme this year is “Reaching the Sustainable Development Goals in the post-COVID-19 age: accelerating universal health coverage and...

21 September 2022 – Over the past 3 days during my visit here in Damascus and to Daraa governorate, I have seen firsthand the devastating impact of war, economic instability and sanctions on innocent Syrians whose health even now continues to deteriorate. In Daraa, once a hotspot of intense fighting and where parts of the governorate still remain in...