Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 15 June 2017 – The World Health Organization (WHO) and the King Salman Centre for Humanitarian Aid and Relief have signed an agreement for almost US$ 8.3 million to support the ongoing health response to the cholera outbreak in Yemen. This support from the King Salman Centre will ensure that 7.3 million people in 13 priority...

12 June 2017, Cairo – Every year, on 14 June, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day. The event serves to thank blood donors for their life-saving gift of blood and to raise awareness of the need for regular blood donations throughout the year to ensure the availability of safe blood supplies for patients in need.  This year’s...

Regional Director meets with H.E. Minister of Health of Tunisia During his official visit to Tunisia in May 2017, Dr Mahmoud Fikri, the WHO Regional Director, visited H.E The Minister of Health of Tunisia accompanied by senior advisors. They discussed health system strengtening and WHO's technical support to national health programnes. H.E. the...

Baghdad, 29 May 2017 – The Government of Japan extended its support to the World Health Organization in March this year with a donation of over US$ 1 million to implement a project to provide integrated lifesaving services in camps for internally displaced people and Syrian refugees in the hosting governorates of Ninewa, Erbil and Duhok.  Through...

WHO Director of Programme Management Dr Jaouad Mahjour, MInister of Health of Palestine Dr Jawad Awaad, WHO's Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Mahmoud Fikri, Director-General of the Ministry Dr Asad Al Rimlawi28 May 2017 – During the Seventieth World Health Assembly WHO's Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr...

28 May 2017 – During his visit to Morocco, on behalf of WHO’s Director-General Dr Margaret Chan, WHO's Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Mahmoud Fikri presented WHO's gold medal to Princess Lalla Salma, King Mohamed VI’s wife, for her accomplishments in the fight against cancer. Dr Fikri also visited H.E the Prime Minister of...

24 May 2017 – The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean convened a meeting for delegates of countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region as a side event at the Seventieth World Health Assembly. The meeting discussed the Sustainable Development Goals, polio eradication and emergencies. Sustainable Development Goals  Superseding the...

Geneva, 23 May 2017 – The Seventieth World Health Assembly (WHA) opened yesterday in Geneva, Switzerland, and will take place until 31 May 2017. The Health Assembly is being attended by nearly 4000 delegates from WHO’s 194 Member States and partner organizations and is WHO’s highest decision-making body, setting out organizational policy and approving...

Cairo, Egypt, 18 May, 2017 — On this World No Tobacco Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on governments, partners, communities and individuals to stop using tobacco and drive sustainable development. The slogan for this year’s Day is “Say no to tobacco”. Tobacco control can protect health, reduce poverty and promote development....

Mr Afif Al Fariqi, President of the Arab Road Safety Organization,  his deputy Brigadier Hassan Al Hosani, Dr Mahmoud Fikri, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, and HE Mr Ghassan Hasbani, the Minister of Public Health and Deputy Prime Minister of Lebanon 17 May 2017 – In the presence of HE Mr Ghassan Hasbani, the Minister of...