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Regional Director's statement on observing the holy month of Ramadan safely in 2022
Dear family, friends, and colleagues in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region and around the world, Later this week, more than a billion and a half Muslims around the world will welcome the start of the holy month of Ramadan. One of the blessings of Ramadan is that Muslims can count on it every year to revive their spiritual and religious practices,...
Minister of Public Health, WHO’s Director-General and Regional Director inaugurate WHO office in Qatar
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General, H.E. Dr Hanan Mohammed Al-Kuwari, Minister of Public Health, and Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Doha, 30 March 2022 – H.E. Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al-Kuwari, Minister of Public Health, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General, and Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari,...
Humanitarian crisis in Yemen: eight years on, WHO is strengthening the health system, responding to vital health needs, and saving lives
27 March 2022 - Since 2015, Yemen has faced a severe and complex humanitarian crisis due largely to the growing activities of armed groups, inter-community tensions, and economic decline. The Yemen crisis is also linked to additional factors such as food and nutrition insecurity, COVID-19, other disease outbreaks, climate change, and natural...
World Tuberculosis Day 2022: Invest to end TB. Save lives.
March 2022, Cairo – On 24 March, the world marks World Tuberculosis Day and WHO invite leaders to invest to end TB and Save lives. Investing in this disease that has devastating health, social and economic impacts on people can find missing cases, reduce mortality and improve productivity. One dollar well invested in TB prevention and care yields more...
Preparing for a COVID-19-safe Ramadan in 2022: A virtual panel discussion with religious scholars
20 March 2022 – Prominent Islamic scholars strongly recommend that people get vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of the holy month of Ramadan and continue to observe public health and social measures during the festivities to protect themselves and their loved ones from infection. These recommendations came during a virtual panel discussion with the...
Crisis in Syria: 11 years on, health needs still urgent
16 March 2022 - With the crisis in Syria now entering its twelfth year, the country’s fragile health system remains under the strain of multiple concurrent socioeconomic and health emergencies. They include the COVID-19 pandemic and uneven availability and quality of health services across the country that impact many Syrians’ physical and mental...
Official launch of the regional Professional Diploma in Family Medicine
Cairo, 14 March 2022 – The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean and the Arab Board of Health Specializations have launched a 2-year regional Professional Diploma in Family Medicine. Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, and Dr Omar Al Rawas, Secretary General of the Arab Board of Health...
International Women’s Day calls for gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow
8 March, 2022 – Every year on 8 March, the world marks International Women's Day to highlight the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women everywhere. This year’s theme ‘Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow’ aims to recognize the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are leading the way on climate...
Statement condemning killing of 8 polio health workers in Afghanistan
By Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean 24 February 2022, Cairo, Egypt – I am shocked and deeply outraged by the killing of 8 polio health workers, 4 of them women, in Afghanistan today. I extend my deepest condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of those who have lost their lives. As a result of...
WHO validates the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in Saudi Arabia
15 February 2022 - On 26 January 2022, the World Health Organization validated Saudi Arabia as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, making it the fourth country in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region to achieve this milestone. Trachoma is a neglected tropical eye disease. Children acquire the infection at a young age....
