WHO Regional Director's statement for virtual press briefing, 14 April
14 April 2021 - Thank you for joining us again here today, and Ramadan Kareem to all those who are marking this holy month. As mentioned by WHO’s Director General a few days ago, globally we have now seen seven consecutive weeks of increasing cases, and four weeks of increasing deaths. Across the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 12 out of 22...
Statement on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan by Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean
Dear family, friends, and colleagues in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and around the world, This year, around a billion and a half Muslims worldwide will soon welcome the start of the holy month of Ramadan. One year ago, during the early stages of the pandemic, we found ourselves experiencing Ramadan in a new world. As a result, we found ways...
57,600 COVID-19 vaccine doses received today in Tripoli
Tripoli, Libya, 08 April 2021 – Today, the first shipment of COVAX procured COVID-19 vaccine containing 57,600 doses, arrived at Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli. This first batch of vaccines has been earmarked for priority groups in Libya including Health workers in isolation and filtration centers, people above 75 years of age, people with...
Vaccines now an effective weapon against COVID-19 in all countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region
7 April 2021, Cairo, Egypt – With the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines to Libya on 5 April 2020, all 22 countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region have now received vaccines to help in the fight against the pandemic. As early as December 2020, some countries began procuring vaccines directly from the manufacturers and launched vaccination...
Islamic Republic of Iran receives first delivery of COVID-19 vaccines through COVAX Facility
Tehran, 6 April 2021 – The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as one of the self-financing participant countries of the COVAX Facility, has received the first batch of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, consisting of 700 800 doses. The COVAX Facility, is a partnership co-led by Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi,...
World Health Day 2021: Together we can reach a fairer and healthier world
April 2021, Cairo – On 7 April 2021, World Health Day will be commemorated globally, under the theme “Together for a fairer, healthier world”. On this occasion, the World Health Organization (WHO) calls for urgent action to eliminate health inequities and mobilize action to attain better health for all and leave no one behind. Inequities have...
WHO Regional Director's statement for virtual press briefing, 1 April
1 April 2021 – I would like to welcome you all today to this press briefing, and also I would like to give a warm welcome to my colleague Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa. WHO and UNICEF have a long history of working hand in hand to address some of the most urgent issues related to the health and...
854 400 COVID-19 vaccine doses shipped by COVAX Facility to Egypt
Cairo, 1 April 2021 – Last night, Egypt received more than 850 000 COVID-19 vaccine doses shipped via the COVAX Facility. More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, a plane landed in Cairo carrying 854 400 doses of the Astra Zeneca Oxford vaccine produced by AstraZeneca-SK Bioscience (AZ-SKBio). According to the Ministry of Health and Population's plan,...
The World Health Organization is committed to ensuring fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccine to the whole of Syria
Cairo, 31 March 2021 – Syria, as one of the 92 countries eligible for COVID-19 vaccines under the COVAX Facility’s Advanced Market Commitment, stands ready to receive the first batch of the Astra Zeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute in India (AZ SII). This first batch is dedicated for 3% of the population and targets high-risk groups,...
Yemen receives 360 000 COVID-19 vaccine doses through the COVAX Facility
Aden, Yemen, 31 March 2021 – Today, Yemen received 360 000 COVID-19 vaccine doses shipped via the COVAX Facility, a partnership between the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO). The AstraZeneca vaccines licensed and manufactured by the Serum Institute of...
