06 November 2025, Manama
Excellencies,
Lieutenant General Dr Shaikh Mohamed Bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Health,
Dr Jaleela bint Al Sayed Jawad Hassan, Minister of Health,
Distinguished colleagues and partners,
It is a real pleasure to join you at Bahrain’s first International Public Health Conference and Exhibition.
This event reflects Bahrain’s strong leadership, forward thinking, and spirit of collaboration—bringing together experts and partners to share knowledge, inspire innovation, and build healthier societies.
I extend my warm congratulations to the Government of Bahrain, the Supreme Council of Health, and the Ministry of Health for their continued leadership and partnership in advancing public health.
In 2024, Bahrain reaffirmed its regional leadership during the 33rd Arab Summit through the Bahrain Declaration, calling for better health care for conflict-affected populations, access to essential medicines, and a resilient regional pharmaceutical and vaccine industry.
WHO is honoured to partner with you in advancing these shared priorities across the Eastern Mediterranean Region, guided by a simple yet profound mission—to ensure that every person, everywhere, can live a healthy life.
Our work in the Eastern Mediterranean Region is guided by three key goals—to promote health, provide health, and protect health—as set out in WHO’s Fourteenth General Programme of Work.
Through our Regional Strategic Operational Plan, we are turning these global goals into action. Our three flagship initiatives—on access to medicines, investment in the health workforce, and addressing substance use—are helping countries strengthen their systems and deliver tangible results for people and communities.
But progress is not without challenges. Our Region faces complex and intersecting crises: conflict and displacement, the growing impact of climate change, economic instability, and cuts in global funding that threaten hard-won gains.
Yet despite these pressures, the resilience and solidarity of our Member States remain strong.
The 72nd session of the Regional Committee, held recently in Cairo, reaffirmed this determination—adopting resolutions on health systems recovery, zero-dose children, palliative care, laboratory safety, and climate change and health.
Bahrain stands out as a beacon of progress. From its comprehensive COVID-19 response—documented as a WHO case study— to its achievements in eliminating measles and rubella and maintaining immunization coverage exceeding 95 per cent, Bahrain continues to demonstrate excellence in preparedness and response.
Your support for regional surveillance networks for polio and other infectious diseases is vital to WHO’s efforts to eradicate polio from the world’s last endemic region.
Bahrain’s pioneering public-health initiatives—including designating Manama as the Region’s first capital Healthy City, the Capital Governorate as the first Healthy Governorate, introducing the HPV vaccine for both girls and boys, and naming seven health-promoting universities—illustrate a whole-of-society approach that places prevention, innovation, and education at the heart of health.
As we look to the future, WHO remains deeply committed to supporting Bahrain and all Member States in achieving real, measurable results for health and equity.
By working together—across sectors and with valued partners—we can build stronger, fairer, and more resilient health systems that protect every community and secure a healthier future for all.
