Seven countries in the Region to participate in WHO’s Solidarity PLUS trial
WHO’s Solidarity PLUS trial enters new phase to test 3 new candidate drugs for COVID-19 Cairo, 25 August 2021 – Seven countries in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region have enrolled to participate in the Solidarity PLUS clinical trial led by WHO. Solidarity PLUS will evaluate 3 potential drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 infections – artesunate, imatinib and...
WHO Regional Director’s statement on Afghanistan
Newly displaced people who have come to Kabul seeking safety are living in vulnerable and often unsanitary conditions exposing them to increased risk transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. As the Health Cluster lead, WHO is working with partners to ensure the delivery of a coordinated health response to the current emergency. 24...
Amidst Kabul airport blockage, WHO and UNICEF call for assistance to deliver critical health supplies to Afghanistan
Joint statement by WHO Regional Director for Eastern and Mediterranean Region, Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, and UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia, George Laryea-Adjei A WHO-supported mobile health clinic caters to urgent health needs of newly displaced people arriving in Kabul @WHO Afghanistan KABUL/CAIRO/KATHMANDU,22 August 2021: “As humanitarian...
Joint statement on the occasion of World Humanitarian Day
19 August 2021 – On this day, World Humanitarian Day, we stand together to pay tribute to humanitarians in Syria and worldwide. Every year, we take this critical moment to extend our deepest condolences to all those who have paid the ultimate price. We also express our immense gratitude to all those humanitarians working tirelessly to make a...
Statement on Afghanistan by Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean
18 August 2021, Cairo, Egypt — The World Health Organization (WHO) is committed to staying in Afghanistan and delivering critical health services and calls on all parties to respect and protect civilians, health workers, patients and health facilities. During this difficult time, the well-being of all civilians — as well as the safety and...
Egypt receives third batch of 1 766 400 AstraZeneca vaccines through the COVAX Facility
To increase vaccination rates in Egypt the Ministry of Health and Population has opened more than 400 vaccination centres in the past few months CAIRO, 16 August 2021 – Egypt has received an additional 1 766 400 COVID-19 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in a third batch of vaccines delivered via the COVAX Facility. This delivery will provide an...
Statement on COVID-19 in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
2 August 2021, Cairo, Egypt – As of 31 July, WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region has reported almost 12.6 million cases of COVID-19 and more than 236 000 deaths. Many countries are reporting a substantial increase in the number of cases and deaths over the past month, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Pakistan,...
Delta variant sparks current COVID-19 surge in the Eastern Mediterranean Region amid low vaccination coverage
Cairo, 29 July 2021 – The circulation of the Delta variant is fuelling the surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths in an increasing number of countries in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region. It is now being reported in 15 out of the 22 countries of the Region. The Delta variant is becoming the dominant strain of the virus in several of these...
Hajj 2021: Successful and safe hajj season during the COVID-19 pandemic
Cairo/Riyadh, 29 July 2021 – As the hajj season for 2021 concludes, WHO’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean acknowledges the efforts of Saudi Arabia in successfully implementating health and safety measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic resullting in no cases of COVID-19 or other illnesses reported among pilgrims. “This year’s hajj came...
WHO opens country office in Bahrain
26 July 2021, Manama, Bahrain – Today, WHO officially opened a country office in Bahrain. Located in the capital city of Manama, the new office is the 20th WHO country office to open in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region, and the 152nd WHO country office globally. The office will enable WHO to work on the ground with national health authorities,...
