WHO in Iraq
The fight to contain COVID-19 in Iraq
Baghdad, 1 April 2020 – Over the past few years, Iraq’s health system has faced many challenges, including internal conflict and the world’s biggest mass displacement in 2014–2016, all of which had a tough toll on an already fragile health system. With the detection of COVID-19 in China in December 2019, WHO immediately initiated preparedness...
Iraq reports a noticeable increase in COVID-19 cases since February
Baghdad, Iraq, 30 March 2020 – Iraq today reported over 630 cases with 46 deaths since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country on 24 February 2020. This makes Iraq the country with the second highest number of COVID-19-related deaths across WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Region after Islamic Republic of Iran. The World Health Organization...
WHO technical mission visits Iraq to step up COVID-19 detection and response activities
WHO high-level mission from the Regional Office visits Iraq and meets with United Nations team in Iraq to discuss preparations for COVID-19 containment measuresBaghdad, Iraq, 15 March 2020 – A high-level technical mission from the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded a visit to Iraq to support the Iraqi Ministry of Health response to...
COVID-19 preventive measures during mass gatherings discussed with religious leaders and health officials in Iraq
WHO Representative in Iraq Dr Adham Ismail discusses COVID-19 preventive measures during mass gatherings in the month of Shaban with the Secretary-General of Kadhimain Holy Shrine Dr Haider Hussain Al-Shammari >Baghdad, Iraq, 3 March 2020 – As millions are expected to visit Iraq in the coming month for religious events, WHO is working with...
WHO delivers ambulances to strengthen referral pathways in Kurdistan region of Iraq
The new fully equipped ambulances were delivered to the Ministry of Health to strengthen ambulatory services and referral pathways for IDPs and host community Erbil, 17 February 2020 – The World Health Organization (WHO) today handed over a new batch of fully equipped ambulances to the Ministry of Health in Kurdistan Region of Iraq to support the...
Improving access to specialized health services for people with physical disability in Iraq
Individuals from Mosul, 201826 January 2020 – Five years of conflict in Iraq has taken a huge toll on more than 5 million Iraqis who, at one point in time, have had to leave their areas of origin to move to safer places in the country. As many as half a million civilians have incurred some level of injury while thousands have lost limbs. In...
WHO assesses capacity and preparedness of Al Jumhury Teaching Hospital for influenza
WHO Representative in Iraq visits isolation unit in Al Jumhury teaching hospital in Erbil to assess the facility's capacity to handle the increase in the number of seasonal influenza cases Erbil, Iraq, 14 January 2020 – Technical teams from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health in Kurdistan region of Iraq visited the...
Iraqi cancer data for 2017‒2018 announced
9 December 2019 ‒ Recently announced data from Iraq’s national cancer registry indicate that there are over 31,500 cancer and tumor-related cases in Iraq as of 2017‒2018. Cancer is considered one of the leading causes of mortality in the country, contributing to an estimated 11% of total deaths. “These alarming figures highlight the need for WHO,...
Iraq’s dedicated polio vaccinators hit the road to reach millions of children
Ensuring every child in Baghdad is safe and free from polio Baghdad, Iraq, 28 November 2019 – In Iraq’s capital Baghdad, one might think that access to households during the current polio vaccination campaign would be almost impossible, given the ongoing protests. However, for Mr Mahmoud Farhan and Ms Hadeel Kareem who have been working with WHO...
More than 3.1 million Iraqi children to be vaccinated against polio
Child recieves oral polio vaccine in BaghdadBaghdad, 26 November 2019 – Health authorities in Iraq, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, have launched a campaign to reach more than 3.1 million children under-5 years of age with lifesaving polio vaccine. The 5-day campaign aims to target children in 65 districts in the...
