15 March 2016 | Cairo – In 2012, an estimated 854 000 people died as a result of living or working in an unhealthy environment in the Eastern Mediterranean Region – nearly one in 5 of total deaths in this Region, according to new estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO). Environmental risk factors, such as air, water and soil pollution,...

14 March 2016 – 5 years since the conflict began in Syria, millions of people across the country continue to suffer from limited access to basic medical care services because of ongoing conflict and a deteriorating health system. Over 11 million people are in need of health assistance that many hospitals and primary health clinics are unable to...

Statement by Dr Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Cairo, 3 March, 2016 -- The health situation in Syria continues to deteriorate, not just day by day, but hour by hour. As always in conflict, it is innocent civilians that pay the highest price. Almost two thirds of all Syrians have no access to safe water, putting...

03 March 2016 – The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean invited representatives from ministries of health in the Region to 2 rounds of emergency meetings to share information on Zika virus infection and associated conditions and discuss implementation of public health measures to prepare for, and respond to,...

2 March 2016 – Today, the World Health Organization delivered urgently needed medicines to the besieged city of Mouadamieh, 10 km south of Damascus. “Today we were able to bring in antibiotics and painkillers, exactly what local health workers told me they needed a few days ago,” says Azret Kalmykov, WHO health cluster coordinator in Syria, after...

Photo courtesy of Translieu/David Mugithi29 February 2016 – At a landmark Ministerial Conference on Immunization in Africa held from 24 to 25 February, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, African Ministers of Health, Finance, Education, Social Affairs and local governments signed a declaration to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages...

19 February 2016 – It was another huge sigh of relief for the people in need in the 5 besieged areas of Madaya, Foah, Kafraya, Zabadani and Mouadamiya al-Sham as 100 aid trucks simultaneously delivered humanitarian assistance, including life-saving medicines and therapeutic nutrition supplies.  As part of the current interagency convoy, WHO...

17 February 2016 -- Despite facing significant challenges as a result of the ongoing conflict in Yemen, WHO continues to respond to the increasing health needs of millions of people across the country. Since the beginning of the crisis, WHO has reached more than seven million people in 23 governorates through the provision of medicines, medical supplies,...

17 February 2016 – WHO is appalled at the recent attacks on health care facilities in the Syrian Arab Republic. These attacks have resulted in at least 14 people being killed, including 4 health care workers, and have left many others severely injured. Our thoughts and condolences are with the families and colleagues of those killed and injured. On 15...

Mr Altaf Musani, WHO Representative in Iraq, Dr Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, and Dr Adila Hamoud, the Minister of Health of Iraq11 February 2016, Baghdad, Iraq -- WHO and the Ministry of Health of Iraq, yesterday in Baghdad, reviewed and endorsed the 2-year cycle joint programme of cooperation between WHO and the...