20 May 2020 – The current COVID-19 pandemic has shown us all the severe and unimaginable impact that a public health threat can have on individuals, communities and nations. We have often said that infectious diseases respect no borders, and that an outbreak in one country can threaten the health security of the Region and beyond. Today, we are...

A joint communiqué by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations, the International Association of Dental Students and the International Pharmaceutical Students Federation COVID-19 in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region The novel coronavirus COVID-19 has become a global...

12 May 2020 - Today marks 134 days since the first case of COVID-19 was reported from China, and 105 days since the first case was reported from our Region. During this time, almost 4 million people around the world have been infected, including almost 300 000 people who have tragically died. Both in our personal and professional lives, all of us...

5 May 2020 – World Hand Hygiene Day will be celebrated on 5 May 2020. This year’s campaign theme, “SAVE LIVES: Clean your hands”, aligns with the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. The campaign aims to recognize nurses and midwives as front-line heroes who deserve acknowledgement, appreciation and protection, and to highlight their...

Collective action and commitment is the only way to mitigate the pandemic 2 May 2020 - To date, there are seven confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the south of Yemen, including two deaths, as declared by national authorities. No other cases have been officially reported to WHO, although we anticipate the virus is actively circulating throughout the...

28 April 2020 Dear colleagues and friends Ramadan Kareem. Thank you for joining us once more as we continue our collective fight against COVID-19. Over the past few weeks, this fight has become even more challenging with the appearance of the virus in countries such as the Syrian Arab Republic, Libya and Yemen. Decades and years of conflict —...

24APRIL 2020 | Cairo –  Any suspension of immunization services or hesitancy to use them during the COVID-19 pandemic will result in a resurgence of diseases that have largely been controlled thanks to safe and effective vaccines. That is the warning from WHO's Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean as World Immunization Week (24–30 April...

22 April 2020 Dear family, friends and colleagues in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and around the world. This weekend, around a billion and a half Muslims worldwide will welcome the start of the holy month of Ramadan. While the social and religious traditions associated with this month are well established, the global pandemic currently...

16 April - In Across the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the COVID-19 pandemic is putting unprecedented pressure on health workers, health systems, governments, NGOs, the UN system, and most urgently, on communities and families. As much as I am filled with the same fear and distress that so many others feel at the continuance and uncertainty of this...

Brazzaville/ Cairo, 7 April 2020 – The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa has risen to more than 10 000 and caused more than 500 deaths. While the virus was slow to reach the continent compared to other parts of the world, infection has grown exponentially in recent weeks and continues to spread. Reaching the continent through...