The Regional Health Alliance (RHA) comprises multilateral health, development and humanitarian agencies which collaborate to accelerate progress towards the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

By facilitating multilateral engagement and joint efforts to address health priorities, RHA supports Member States meet their goals and ensure that no one is left behind. Led by WHO, it acts as a platform for coordinating the work of UN agency members, optimizing support for Member States as they advance their health-focused development strategies and plans, particularly those aligned with the health-related SDGs.

Established in mid-2019 with 12 UN agency members, the alliance has grown to include 18 member organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), UN-Habitat, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), UN Women and the World Food Programme (WFP).

On 5 March 2020, the first Regional Health Forum convened and a joint action plan for 2020–2021 was launched. RHA’s joint action plans detail collectively identified actions and set clear deliverables. Participants also committed to regular meetings to share information, track progress and undertake missions to priority countries.

In December 2021, RHA members, under the leadership of the WHO Regional Director, endorsed a second joint action plan, covering 2022–2023. The meeting included the presentation of case studies illustrating both achievements and challenges in advancing towards the health-related SDGs.

The objectives of the RHA include:

Foster collaboration on priority public health issues across UN development and humanitarian system entities operating at the regional and sub-regional levels.

Promote joint actions to address gaps in health-related SDGs implementation, including those identified through the RHA evaluation process.

Discuss major regional strategic public health developments and issues, pathways to addressing them, and align regional and global health agendas accordingly.

Promote and support regional and sub-regional collaboration, initiatives and programmes, and transboundary and common health issues.

Promote coherent regional policy dialogues and advocacy strategies.

Facilitate demand-driven normative and policy support coupled with the technical capacity to integrate health in the UNSDCFs.

Related link

Working together for health-related SDGs: a partnership towards achieving health for all, by all.

International development, health and humanitarian agencies announce bold plans for Regional Health Alliance

Regional Health Alliance strategic dialogue: towards a unified regional WHO–UN health agenda in 2025

On 15 January 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, under the leadership of Regional Director Dr Hanan Balkhy, will host a landmark meeting of the Regional Health Alliance (RHA) at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Cairo, Egypt.

Bringing together over 80 participants from the 18 UN organizations in the Alliance, the high-level gathering marks a pivotal step in WHO’s efforts to foster a unified UN health agenda for the Region.

Director of Programme Management Dr Adham Abdel Moneim, acting Regional Emergency Director Dr Ahmed Zouiten, Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage and Life Course Dr Bruce Aylward and Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products Dr Yukiko Nakatani will be among the attendees.

Invitees to the meeting include regional directors and technical officers from FAO, IOM, ITU, OCHA, the World Bank, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UN-Habitat, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNODC, UNRWA, UN Women and WFP.

Read more

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal,  volume 28, issue 1

Addressing the health-related SDGs in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: Regional Health Alliance strengthens collaboration towards better health