Dr Al-Mandhari visited different areas in Pakistan, including Larkana, where the current HIV outbreak has further aggravated already burdened health facilities in the impoverished area Cairo, Egypt, 1 August 2019 — I have just returned from my third, and most fruitful and memorable visit to Pakistan as WHO Regional Director for the Eastern...

Despite progress, increased action needed to help people quit deadly tobacco products Cairo, Egypt, 28 July 2019 – Many governments are making progress in the fight against tobacco. Today, 5 billion people are living in countries that have introduced effective tobacco control measures such as smoking bans and graphic warnings on packaging – 4...

Cairo, Egypt, 24 July 2019 – I recently concluded a 4-day visit to Iraq where I saw firsthand a health system transitioning from emergency response to reconstruction, rehabilitation and resilience, while at the same time addressing the health needs of millions of vulnerable Iraqis and refugees. The country’s new national health priorities,...

30 June 2019, Cairo, Egypt – The time has come to speak out once more about attacks on health care in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region. Since the beginning of 2019, our Region has witnessed an average of more than one attack every day: hundreds of health workers have been killed, injured or assaulted, hospitals have been damaged and destroyed,...

25 June 2019, Tunis, Tunisia ‒ Yesterday in Tunis, the first meeting of the Parliamentary Forum for Health and Well-being, taking place from 24 to 26 June 2019, opened in the Parliamentarian Academy affiliated to Tunisia’s Assembly of the Representatives of the People. It is the first ever WHO-supported meeting to be hosted in a Parliament. This first...

Kampala, Uganda, 20 June 2019 – Egypt has announced that it would be providing hepatitis C testing and treatment for one million people in 14 African countries. Speaking at the opening of the African Hepatitis Summit 2019, currently underway in Kampala, Uganda, HE Dr Hala Zaid, the Egyptian Minister of Health and Population, stated that the...

13 June 2019 – On the occasion of World Blood Donor Day 2019, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari emphasized that everyone in the world had the right to access safe blood transfusion, when and where it was needed. Access to safe blood and blood products is essential for universal health coverage (UHC) and a key...

June 7, 2019 - Cairo: WHO is gravely concerned about the recent impact of violence in Sudan on people in need, health workers and medical facilities. Incursions into hospitals in Khartoum have resulted in emergency services being shut down, the unwarranted transfer of patients, injuries to five medical staff and patients, and threats to others. Health...

Quit now and say no to second-hand smoke Cairo, Egypt, 31 May, 2019 ‒ On this World No Tobacco Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on people to quit tobacco smoking and say no to second-hand smoke to protect their lungs. Tobacco is harmful in all its forms. It kills over 8 million people every year. Tobacco smoking and second-hand smoke...

Amman, Jordan, 28 May 2019 – The Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination (RVC) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region has declared that measles and rubella have been eliminated from both Bahrain and Oman, and that Islamic Republic of Iran has eliminated rubella and is about to eliminate measles. The RVC met in Amman,...