4 September 2024, Cairo, Egypt – On 3 September, as part of its ongoing activities to celebrate World No Tobacco Day 2024, the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean organized an event that included an exhibition of drawings by children from the Region on tobacco control and the announcement of the results of the One Voice video...

Extreme temperatures and drought are affecting snake habitats, including in Iraq’s marshes (pictured), leading the animals closer to human habitats, especially in rural and periurban settings. Photo credit: WHO/K. Nasser2 September 2024  – Globally, someone is bitten by a snake every 10 seconds, according to estimates. Snakebite envenoming is a...

19 August, 2024 Today, on World Humanitarian Day, we stand united in honouring the extraordinary dedication of humanitarian workers who, in the face of extreme adversity, continue to bring hope, relief and essential services to millions in need across the Eastern Mediterranean Region and, indeed, across the world. This day serves as a reminder of our...

7 August 2024 Thank you for being here. The past two weeks have once again highlighted the scale and complexities of emergencies across our Region. In that short period of time, there have been variant poliovirus strains detected in Gaza, military strikes and assassinations in several countries that further threaten regional security, a...

Breastfeeding is important for both child and mother. It protects the baby against illnesses and malnutrition, and also reduces the mother’s risk of diabetes, obesity and even some cancers. Many women do not breastfeed as long as they would like to due to restrictions and commitments. This must change. Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for...

30 July 2024  Jerusalem, Cairo, Geneva - Today, 85 sick and severely injured patients from Gaza were evacuated to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), for specialized care. This extremely complex joint evacuation was supported by the the World Health Organization (WHO) in partnership with the Government of the UAE and other partners. This is the...

28 July 2024, Cairo, Egypt – “It’s Time for Action”, urges WHO’s campaign to mark World Hepatitis Day 2024. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region and globally, WHO is calling on governments and communities to intensify efforts to combat hepatitis, emphasizing the need for urgent action. Fighting hepatitis in the Eastern Mediterranean Region raises...

Cairo, Copenhagen, Geneva, 24 July 2024—Sixteen people from Gaza with complicated medical conditions will arrive in Spain today to receive care there, through an evacuation process involving the World Health Organization (WHO) and multiple partners. Fifteen of them are children, ranging in age from 3 to 17 years old. The mother of one of the...

1 August 2024, Cairo, Egypt – Breastfeeding has proven benefits for infants and mums. Yet many women do not breastfeed for as long as they’d like as they lack a supportive environment. This year, the World Breastfeeding Week campaign centres on “Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all”. Breastfeeding is one of the best ways to ensure a...

22 July 2024 – An event to mark the 50th anniversary of the Essential Programme on Immunization (EPI) was hosted by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean on the evening of 17 July 2024, in Cairo, Egypt. EPI is a cornerstone of global public health since it came into being in 1974, originally as the Expanded Programme on...