Cholera further exacerbates vulnerabilities in Syria
8 December 2022 – Since the first case was declared on 6 September 2022, cholera has spread to all 14 governorates in Syria, adding another grim chapter of human suffering in the war-torn country. Between 25 August and 26 November 2022, over 52 013suspected cholera cases and 98 deaths were reported across Syria, with Deir-ez-Zor, Ar-Raqqa,...
WHO Regional Director’s statement to the press for International Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day
11 December 2022 – Good afternoon and welcome to today’s press briefing on the occasion of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day, which is held annually on 12 December. UHC Day is an official United Nations-designated day marking the anniversary of a unanimous decision seven years ago to endorse universal health coverage as an essential component of...
Universal Health Coverage Day: building the healthy future we want
8 December 2022 – To celebrate Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day on 12 December and in line with the theme of this year “Build the World We Want: A Healthy Future for All”, the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean is organizing a meeting on primary health care (PHC) for universal health coverage (UHC) and health security in the...
2022 in focus: With recent floods and drought impacting health in several countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, WHO warns that extreme weather will lead to extreme disease
Cairo, 7 December 2022 – While responding to multiple concurrent emergencies in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, WHO has simultaneously extended massive support to 5 countries in the Region affected by climate change in 2022 – Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. With environmental and climatic risks responsible for around 23% of the...
WHO enhances national efforts to prevent the spread of leishmaniasis in Syria
4-year-old Omar after his recovery from leishmaniasis 5 December 2022, Aleppo, Syria – A 4-year-old child should be able to play outside with his friends. But not Omar, due to a large lesion on his cheek delivered by a sandfly carrying leishmaniasis. Leishmaniasis is serious disease, spread by sandflies which bite uncovered parts of the body. It...
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week calls upon leaders to renew global commitments
24 November 2022 – This week, the world is marking World Antimicrobial Awareness Week with a call for policy-makers to encourage health workers and the general public to adopt best practices to prevent the emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections and for all sectors to encourage the prudent use of antimicrobial medicines and to...
Advancing nurturing care in humanitarian settings: overview of workshops in Arab countries
Amman/Beirut/Cairo, 17 November 2022 – Today, the Arab Network for Early Childhood, the International Rescue Committee, Save the Children, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization released a new report entitled “Advancing nurturing care in humanitarian settings: Overview of workshops in Arab countries”. The report shares learnings from a...
WHO is on the ground as climate-driven health emergency in the Greater Horn of Africa threatens 47 million people
13 November 2022 – Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity. It is estimated that environmental factors take the lives of around 13 million people every year. Global warming is influencing weather patterns, causing heat waves, heavy rainfall and droughts. The Greater Horn of Africa is facing an unprecedented, acute...
WHO warns that this winter may witness a strong comeback for influenza in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
Nurse Lotfiye Samra checks a patient’s temperature at the Rjail Arbaeen Primary Health Centre in Saida, Lebanon, which functions as a site for influenza-like illness surveillance. Respiratory samples are collected from symptomatic patients and tested for influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses. Information from this routine...
WHO Regional Director’s statement on cholera outbreaks
2 November 2022 – Good afternoon and welcome to today’s press briefing on the latest updates on cholera outbreaks in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. After decades without a single case of cholera, the outbreaks that have been recently declared in Lebanon and Syria mark an unwelcome comeback in those countries. In fact, this is part of a...
