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61st Regional Committee concludes with new initiatives and action plans for health priorities
22 October 2014, Tunis -- The 61st session of the Regional Committee concludes its meetings in Tunis, Tunisia today, adopting a number new health initiatives, action plans and resolutions. Nearly 100 delegates and 48 international, regional organizations attended the meeting and actively participated in the discussions. Members of the Regional...
Ministerial panel discussion calls for addressing the unopposed marketing of unhealthy products to prevent noncommunicable diseases
21 October 2014, Tunis – A panel discussion on the prevention of noncommunicable diseases has been held during the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean. During the panel, Dr Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, announced a new WHO initiative to address the unopposed marketing of tobacco and unhealthy...
61st session of the WHO Regional Committee opens in Tunisia
In his opening speech before the 61st session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said that WHO was currently facing an unprecedented situation as it responded to five high-level grade 3 emergencies around the world, two of which were in the Region. Dr...
61st Session of Regional Committee for Eastern Mediterranean, 19–22 October 2014
The 61st session of the World Health Organization’s Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean will open on 19 October 2014 in Tunis, Tunisia. The opening session will be inaugurated by Minister of Health of Tunisia H.E. Professor Mohamed Saleh bin Ammar, Chairperson of the 60th session of the Regional Committee Dr Ahmed Bin Mohamed Al...
Urgent work needed to prevent further loss of life in Gaza
Read the Gaza Strip joint health sector assessment report12 October 2014 – Urgent work is needed to rehabilitate the damaged health system in Gaza to prevent further loss of life after the recent conflict, according to a WHO-led joint assessment of health needs and services in Gaza, released today. During the conflict more than half of existing...
WHO Regional Director visits occupied Palestinian territory to discuss strategic priorities
Dr Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director, meets with Palestinian Prime Minister Dr Rami Hamdallah4 October 2014 - Dr Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, visited occupied Palestinian territory from 30 September to 1 October as a follow-up visit to his mission to Gaza and West Bank from 10 to 11 August at the height of the...
Statement regarding interim findings of WHO assessment of deaths of children in Idleb governorate, Syria
28 September 2014 - A World Health Organization (WHO) assessment of the cause of the death of 15 children in rural Idleb, northern Syria, has concluded that the most likely cause of the event was the incorrect use of a drug called Atracurium as a diluent for measles/rubella vaccine. There is no evidence that the measles/rubella vaccine itself or its...
Joint WHO/UNICEF statement regarding deaths of children in Idlib, northern Syria
Amman/Cairo, 17 September 2014: UNICEF and WHO have been shocked and saddened to learn of the deaths of at least 15 young children in Idlib, Syria. The deaths of the children – all of whom were less than two years of age – occurred in districts where a measles immunization campaign had been under way. Establishing the precise cause of the...
WHO calls on countries to adopt comprehensive suicide prevention strategies
5 September 2014, Cairo, Egypt – Today, WHO publishes a global report “Preventing suicide: a global imperative”. The report reveals that suicide is a serious public health problem worldwide. Every year, over 800 000 people die from suicide, roughly one death every 40 seconds. Each year, suicide claims more lives than homicide and war combined. This is WHO’s...
Amid ongoing conflict, Iraq completes massive polio campaign for children with support of UNICEF and WHO
Erbil/Amman, 2 September 2014 – Despite the ongoing conflict, violence and displacement across Iraq, a mass polio immunization campaign succeeded in reaching 3.75 out of 4 million children under the age of 5. The five-day campaign between 10 and 14 August was organized by the Iraqi Ministry of Health with the support of UNICEF and the World...
