Sana'a, 10 February 2016 — Following months of blocked access to Taiz City, Yemen, and in response to mounting emergency health needs, the World Health Organization (WHO) has successfully delivered more than 20 tonnes of life-saving medicines and medical supplies. These medical supplies are critical to meet the most urgent needs in a city where...

10 February 2016 – The World Health Organization welcomes the unprecedented support shown by countries participating in the "Supporting Syrians and the Region Conference" in London on 4 February, during which more than US$ 10 billion was pledged to provide humanitarian aid to people affected by the Syrian crisis over the coming 5 years. “Countries...

10 February 2016, Baghdad, Iraq: WHO’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Ala Alwan is meeting senior health officials from the Ministry of Health in Baghdad and local and international health partners to discuss a number of emerging health needs and challenges in the country. The Regional Director and Her Excellency the Minister of...

Cairo, 31 January 2016 -- As the Zika virus outbreak continues to spread reaching 24 countries in the Americas (as of 27 January),  WHO’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Ala Alwan is calling on governments to work together to keep the Region protected.   “Zika virus is spread by the Aedes mosquito, the same type of mosquito that...

30 January 2016 – Outbreaks of Zika virus disease are currently ongoing in 22 countries in the Americas and in 1 country in Africa. No cases of the disease have so far been reported from any country in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. However, the disease is spread by a species of mosquito that exists in the majority of countries of the...

Speaking at a special briefing on Libya in Geneva, His Excellency Dr Reida Oakely, Libya’s Minister of Health, and Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain, WHO Representative for Libya, appealed to the international community to step up efforts to help save nearly 2 million people. WHO and health partners require a total of US$50 million in 2016 to meet critical health...

31 January 2016 – 400 000 people, young and old, die every year in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region due to cancer. On World Cancer Day, 4 February, under the slogan “We Can. I Can.”, WHO is calling on governments to provide and improve access to quality cancer care and on communities and individuals to quit smoking, eat healthy food and keep...

Photo credit: WHO/I.Hamam17 January 2016 – As part of efforts to strengthen its response to emergencies in the Region and to continue the fight against polio, the World Health Organization (WHO) has established a regional centre for health emergencies and polio eradication in Amman, Jordan. The centre will be inaugurated Sunday 17 January 2016 in an...

14 January 2016 – Despite repeated calls for immediate access to meet urgent health needs throughout Yemen, the World Health Organization continues to be unable to deliver life-saving medicines and medical supplies in many parts of the country. Access to meet the health needs of the population of Taiz city is of particular concern. For the last 4...

Joint statement Dr Ala Alwan WHO Regional Director and Dr Peter Salama, UNICEF Regional Director Amman/Cairo, 14 January 2016 – This week’s delivery of urgently needed humanitarian supplies1 to the besieged communities of Madaya, Foua’a and Kafraya is a welcome step for a population in desperate need. During the mission to Madaya, our teams met many...