11 June 2020 - Global research on COVID-19 continues to be conducted, including how the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is transmitted. Current evidence suggests that most transmission occurs from symptomatic people through close contact with others. Accordingly, most recommendations by WHO on personal protective...

10 June 2020 – More than 7 million cases of COVID-19 have now been reported to WHO globally, and more than 400 000 deaths. As of yesterday evening, countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region have reported a total of almost 670 000 cases and more than 15 000 deaths, making up almost 10% of the global caseload. While cases across Europe are...

Every year on 14 June, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day. The first World Blood Donor Day was observed in 2004, which was followed by its designation as an annual global event by the fifty-eighth World Health Assembly in 2005. World Blood Donor Day is now celebrated each year throughout the world to raise awareness of the...

Dr Amina Barkat, Head of Neonatal Medicine and Resuscitation at Ibn Sina Children's Hospital of Rabat, Morocco, holds a newborn baby girl1 June 2020 –In an online conference on a Wednesday afternoon in May 2020, the background noise is particularly revealing. Shouts of children and gurgles of babies echo as women and men in Morocco adjust their...

From the Regional Directors of UNICEF, FAO, WFP and WHO Amman/Cairo, 27 MAY 2020 – “Governments and partners across the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA) are working around the clock to protect communities from coronavirus disease (COVID-19). While these efforts are saving many lives, they are having a critical impact on food supply...

20 May 2020 – The current COVID-19 pandemic has shown us all the severe and unimaginable impact that a public health threat can have on individuals, communities and nations. We have often said that infectious diseases respect no borders, and that an outbreak in one country can threaten the health security of the Region and beyond. Today, we are...

A joint communiqué by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations, the International Association of Dental Students and the International Pharmaceutical Students Federation COVID-19 in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region The novel coronavirus COVID-19 has become a global...

12 May 2020 - Today marks 134 days since the first case of COVID-19 was reported from China, and 105 days since the first case was reported from our Region. During this time, almost 4 million people around the world have been infected, including almost 300 000 people who have tragically died. Both in our personal and professional lives, all of us...

5 May 2020 – World Hand Hygiene Day will be celebrated on 5 May 2020. This year’s campaign theme, “SAVE LIVES: Clean your hands”, aligns with the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. The campaign aims to recognize nurses and midwives as front-line heroes who deserve acknowledgement, appreciation and protection, and to highlight their...

Collective action and commitment is the only way to mitigate the pandemic 2 May 2020 - To date, there are seven confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the south of Yemen, including two deaths, as declared by national authorities. No other cases have been officially reported to WHO, although we anticipate the virus is actively circulating throughout the...