24 January 2022 – Consistent with the international health agenda and the strategic priories of "WHO's Thirteenth General Programme of Work", the WHO country office in Bahrain will continue to support the Ministry of Health and work towards achieving the agreed-upon joint work plan for the next biennium (2022–2023), focusing on the following priorities.
Achieving universal health coverage
The WHO country office will continue to provide needed technical support to strengthen health systems and ensure that all people have access to high-quality promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative health services that are appropriate to their needs and expectations, while not exposing the user to financial hardship, in line with the WHO norms and standards.
Promoting healthier populations
The WHO country office will scale up action on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and their associated risk factors, including supporting the development and dissemination of guidelines and tools for NCD preventive, diagnostic, curative, palliative, and rehabilitative care, and technical packages to address NCD risk factors through multisectoral action. With the recent advances in digital domains that are transferring the way health care is delivered, WHO will support Bahrain in implementing digital tools that can lead to better and faster healthcare for people at risk or living with NCDs, as well as provide technical support to the periodic NCD risk factor surveillance.
Addressing health emergencies
WHO will provide technical support on the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the International Health Regulations Framework. Operationally, it will facilitate an assessment of the health emergency coordination mechanisms, country risks, and vulnerabilities, and the emergency supply chain, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Moreover, WHO is planning to provide capacity-building training on points of entry and mass gatherings, in addition to, will support in-depth assessment of the current surveillance system, and provided follow-up training on strengthening event-based surveillance according to epidemic developments.
Advancing health equity
WHO will strengthen its role in providing technical and political leadership on the equity in health and addressing the social determinants of health to ensure that the needs and rights of individuals at different stages across the life course are addressed.
Building partnerships and strengthening collaboration with health actors
WHO will strengthen collaboration with health actors and stakeholders and promote partnerships for health through jointly organizing a number of joint meetings/workshops/seminars including a workshop on the “One Health” approach with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Organisation for Animal Health.
