Governor of Muharraq Governorate HE Salman bin Isa Al Mannai, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Dr Samya Bahram, WHO Regional Adviser for Health Promotion and Social Determinants of Health Dr Samar El Feky and the team at the Muharraq Governorate Office. Photo credit: WHO/WHO Bahrain.25 February 2025, Muharraq, Bahrain – WHO conducted a 2-day mission – from 24–25 February – to Bahrain’s Muharraq Governorate as part of the healthy cities evaluation process. Representatives from the Ministry of Health joined the WHO Country Office in Bahrain and the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean during field visits to the governorate.
WHO’s healthy cities programme aims to improve the health of populations by engaging communities in the promotion of health and well-being across all aspects of their lives. By promoting collaboration and the inclusion of Health in All Policies across sectors, a healthy city seeks to improve well-being through an holistic approach rather than focusing exclusively on the health sector.
In 2019, the Governor of Muharraq signed a letter of collaboration committing to the Healthy Cities programme and encompassing the whole of Muharraq Governorate, and in 2022, Busaiteen/Alsayah was recognized as a healthy city.
Mission members visit one of the designated sites focused on skill development, vocational training and capacity-building. Photo credit: WHO/WHO Bahrain.In recent months Bahrain has seen an expansion of the healthy cities initiative across 2 governorates, Capital and Northern. Muharraq is the third governorate in Bahrain to undergo a field evaluation, demonstrating Bahrain’s commitment to expanding the healthy cities programme and community participation.
The 2-day mission visited selected sites covering the programme’s 9 domains – community organization/mobilization for health development; intersectoral collaboration; availability of information; environmental health; health development; education and literacy; skill development and capacity-building; microcredit activities and emergency preparedness and response.
To be recognized, a healthy city must meet at least 80% of the 80 indicators set by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean.
The WHO healthy cities programme provides a best practice example of a successful healthy settings approach and a tangible example of the effects of sustainable urban living on quality of life.
