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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...
Ramadan campaign 2021 key messages
Stay healthy this Ramadan Maintain a healthy diet and drink plenty of water Avoid smoking, junk food, and foods high in sugar content Follow food safety measures Stay active and sleep well Stay safe this Ramadan Wash your hands often and well Wear your mask Maintain physical distance Practice proper sneezing and coughing etiquette Avoid large...
Remarks of the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean for the Brussels Syria side event
24 March 2021 – A few months ago, I visited Damascus, Homs and Hama, witnessing firsthand the devastating impact of the decade-long conflict and the resulting humanitarian crisis, now worsened by COVID-19. While there, I met frontline workers who continue to brave dangerous working conditions to save lives. I spoke to parents desperate for a...
First batch of COVID-19 vaccines delivered through COVAX Facility arrives in Lebanon
25 March 2021 – On 24 March 2021, 33 600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were delivered through the COVAX Facility from the Netherlands through Dubai to Beirut, Lebanon. The arrival of the vaccines marks the first shipment to Lebanon as part of the COVAX Facility’s unprecedented effort to deliver at least 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines...
New report provides groundbreaking insights into the state of health inequities in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
Cairo, 31 March 2021 – Health inequities in the Eastern Mediterranean Region are startling. They have long prevailed and the COVID-19 pandemic is only adding to the heavy burden of inequality according to a new report developed by the Commission on the Social Determinants of Health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, with support from the...
World Tuberculosis Day 2021: it’s time to keep our promises
23 March 2021, Cairo – On 24 March 2021, World Tuberculosis Day will be commemorated globally under the theme “The Clock is Ticking”. The theme serves to remind us that we are running out of time to act on the commitments to end tuberculosis (TB) made by world leaders in the the Political Declaration of the United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB, the...
WHO condemns attacks on residential neighbourhoods in Aleppo
23 March 2021 – Escalating violence in Aleppo, northwest Syria, has claimed innocent lives and further devastated homes and one critical health facility. On 21 March 2021 at around 9:00 am, Al-Atareb Hospital in Atareb, Aleppo was hit by artillery shelling, killing 6 people and injuring 17, including patients and medical personnel. The hospital...
