World Heart Day - 29 September 2024: campaigning for cardiovascular health
26 September 2024, Cairo, Egypt – On World Heart Day 2024, the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean joins the global movement campaigning under the banner ‘Use Heart for Action’ to empower individuals to take responsibility for their heart health and advocate for stronger national cardiovascular health action plans. Cardiovascular diseases...
Sudan surpasses 100 attacks on healthcare since 2023 armed conflict began
WHO believes the number of attacks is likely much higher than what is currently verifiable Cairo, September 24, 2024 - The number of attacks on healthcare facilities in Sudan since the onset of the armed conflict in April 2023 has exceeded 100, with 108 incidents verified by WHO until mid-September. WHO believes that the number of attacks is likely...
100 Days of Detention: Regional Directors of UN agencies and INGOs Call for Immediate Release of Arbitrarily Detained Staff
18 September 2024 – Today marks 100 days since the arbitrary detention by de facto authorities in Sana’a of more than 50 personnel from the UN, international and national NGOs, civil society, and diplomatic missions. In addition, four UN staff members have been detained since 2021 and 2023. Attacks on humanitarian workers, including detentions...
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Childhood cancer survivor from Syria, Yazan, 20 years old23 September 2024, Cairo, Egypt – Yazan is a 20-year-old Syrian who was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma as a child. The conflict in Syria and resulting humanitarian crisis meant that Yazan struggled to access treatment for his cancer, and he received little support from his school and...
Jordan becomes first country to receive WHO verification for eliminating leprosy
19 September 2024, Amman, Jordan – The World Health Organization (WHO) congratulates the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for becoming the first country in the world to be officially verified as having eliminated leprosy. This significant milestone marks a new era in global public health efforts. “WHO congratulates Jordan on this impressive...
Suspect and Protect: Concussion awareness campaign
18 Septebember 2024 FIFA and World Health Organization launch global concussion awareness campaign Suspect and Protect will highlight risks of concussion and provide educational resources for everyone involved at every level of football Knowing the signs and symptoms of suspected concussion and how to protect players can help to make the game...
Around 560 000 children vaccinated in first round of polio campaign in Gaza
13 September 2024, Jerusalem/Amman/Geneva - Around 560 000 children under ten years old were vaccinated against polio during the first round of an emergency vaccination campaign conducted in three phases from 1-12 September 2024 in the Gaza Strip. The 12-day campaign provided novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) to 558 963 children, following...
WHO analysis highlights vast unmet rehabilitation needs in Gaza
Jerusalem, Cairo, Geneva, 12 September 2024 - At least one quarter or 22 500 of those injured in Gaza by 23 July are estimated to have life-changing injuries that require rehabilitation services now and for years to come, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) analysis of the types of injuries resulting from the ongoing conflict in Gaza:...
High-level mission to Sudan reaffirms WHO commitment, calls for urgent action to address and end the extreme health and humanitarian crisis
Port Sudan, 9 September 2024 — WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Regional Director Dr Hanan Balkhy yesterday concluded a two-day mission to Port Sudan, where they reaffirmed WHO's commitment to reaching all Sudanese in need and called on the international community to urgently act to end the extreme health and humanitarian...
First phase of polio campaign concludes successfully in Gaza
Jerusalem, Amman, Geneva, 4 September 2024 – Over 187 000 children under ten years of age were vaccinated with novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) in central Gaza during the first phase of a two-round polio vaccination campaign, conducted between 1-3 September 2024. Vaccination coverage in this phase exceeded the initial estimated target of...