13 January 2022 – Welcome to our first press briefing of 2022, and I wish you and your loved ones a happy and healthy new year. 2021 was difficult for most of us. Despite the incredible progress made in developing effective tools to prevent and control the pandemic, including vaccines and therapeutics, we continued to see increasing numbers of people...

Statement by Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Cairo, Egypt, 11 January 2022 – The World Health Organization (WHO) is following with great concern the escalating crisis in Sudan, including 15 reported attacks on health care workers and health facilities since November 2021 in Khartoum and other cities, 11 of...

Cairo, 22 December 2021 - A year ago, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout had brought us hope that we could end the acute phase of the pandemic by the end of 2021. Instead, as we enter the third year of the pandemic, the world remains very much in its grip. Globally, COVID-19 has so far claimed more than five million lives and infected over 270 million...

Cairo, 20 December 2021– As 2021 comes to an end, the gap in COVID-19 vaccination coverage between countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region widens alarmingly  As of 14 December 2021, over 500 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the Region, an average of 65 doses per 100 population. However, high- and...

Working together towards achieving Health For All By All 16 December 2021, Cairo – Motivated by their shared goal to achieve stronger collaboration and better health for all, international development, health and humanitarian agencies in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East and North Africa Region convened today for the second annual...

Cairo, Kuwait, 14 December 2021-With a revived sense of urgency sparked by COVID-19 for innovative approaches to improve public health, WHO Country Office, in coordination with the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Kuwait, organised a course titled Health Leadership for Positive Change from 6 to 9 December 2021 targeting mid and senior level officials at...

12 December 2021, Dubai – Today, the world celebrates Universal Health Coverage Day – the annual rallying point for the growing movement to ensure the right to health for every one, everywhere. Universal Health Coverage Day marks the anniversary of the United Nations’ historic and unanimous endorsement of a resolution in 2012 urging countries to...

9 December 2021 – The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean and the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) today hosted the final leadership lecture as part of their joint Leadership Programme on Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Response with Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General. The leadership programme, which was...

9 December 2021, Cairo, Egypt – In its eighth annual meeting, the Islamic Advisory Group (IAG) reiterated its commitment to continue supporting the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, echoing its trust in the safety and effectiveness of all routine childhood vaccinations as a lifesaving tool that aligns with Islamic shariah. The meeting further...

9 December 2021 – We’re excited to announce the return of the global Walk the Talk: Health for All challenge this UHC Day. Hosted by the World Health Organization, in partnership with Expo 2020 Dubai and the Ministry of Health and Prevention of the United Arab Emirates, this year’s 24-hour global walkathon will feature people of all ages and...