Partnerships for health
13 October 2022, Cairo – Multisectoral action that leaves no one behind and involves innovative youth-driven partnerships is central to achieving Health for All by All. This is what participants agreed during a panel discussion on “Leveraging partnerships for collective and transformative actions to achieve Health for All by All” during the 69th session of...
Regional Director’s statement for the RC 69 press conference
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful H.E. Dr Mai Al Kaila, Minister of Health of Palestine and Chair of the 69th session of the Regional Committee, Brothers and sisters from the media, We have just concluded the 69th session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, held between 10 and 13 October 2022. The...
Collaborative action supports SDGs
13 October 2022, Cairo – The consensus among participants in the panel discussion “Supporting Member States to accelerate the implementation of health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through joint action by UN country teams (UNCTs)”, held during the 69th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, was that...
Urban initiatives beat the clock: success stories from around the Region
13 October 2022 – Qatar set a goal of achieving at least one WHO Healthy City accreditation by 2022 only to get there ahead of schedule when, in 2021, both Doha and Al Rayyan were awarded the designation. The Healthy Cities Programme makes health a central concern in all aspects of city administration, from transportation to waste management. In Somalia,...
New and emerging nicotine and tobacco products pose challenges for tobacco control
12 October 2022, Cairo – Vaping is a gateway to smoking. Data show that people who vape are five times more likely to become regular cigarette smokers, a habit that claims a life every four seconds. The tobacco industry is using new strategies to fuel its multi-billion-dollar turnover. It is flooding markets around the world with new and emerging...
One planet, one health: building sustainable and resilient health care systems
12 October 2022, Cairo – Climate change is now regarded as the greatest global health threat of the 21st century. Human activities continue to cause environmental pollution and loss of biodiversity, factors that are leading not only to the emergence of new diseases but to the redistribution of existing ones. A side event at the 69th session of the...
Towards more responsive and participatory health systems
12 October 2022, Cairo – Regional health policy-makers and experts have paved the way towards a regional agenda on priorities for advancing health systems participatory governance. Discussions took place during a side event on “Institutionalizing Participatory Governance in the Eastern Mediterranean Region” organized by the health system...
Mass campaigns and collaborating centres: success stories from the Region expand outreach
12 October 2022 – Against a backdrop of rising tuberculosis (TB) incidence rates – from 40 cases per 100 000 in 2019 to 59 per 100 000 in 2021 – Libya has taken action to ensure migrants can access life-saving TB services. In January 2020, a new project began offering TB services through outreach activities. Migrants displaying TB symptoms are...
Regular sessions begin for the 69th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean
11 October 2022, Cairo ‒ The 69th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean proceeded with regular sessions today. Presenting his annual report for 2021, Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, underlined how the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to exact a heavy toll, with a total of 28...
Annual report of the Regional Director
Cairo, 11 October 2022 ‒ In presenting his annual report for 2021, Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, underlined how the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to exact a heavy toll, with a total of 28 million cases confirmed and more than 348 000 deaths reported across the Region by October 2022. As the pandemic...