7 October 2015 -- The 62nd session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean continued its discussions yesterday in Kuwait on regional and global strategic health priorities. The day's sessions focused on implementation of the United Nations General Assembly Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable...

5 October 2015 – The opening ceremony of the 62nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean took place in Kuwait today in the presence of more than 200 people, including the representatives of 22 ministries of health from the countries of the Region. His Excellency Mr Said El Aidi, Minister of Health of Tunisia,...

4 October 2015 -- The 62nd session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean opened on Monday evening, 5 October 2015, in Kuwait City. Working sessions will start the following morning. As WHO’s governing body at the regional level, the Regional Committee consists of representatives of all 22...

21 September 2015 | Saudi Arabia – As an estimated 2 million Muslims from 184 countries gather in Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca to take part in the annual hajj pilgrimage, months of preparations to care for health issues of pilgrims are also coming together.  Over the last 6 months, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Government of...

Amman, Jordan, 13 September 2015 – The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean is holding in Jordan an open forum on unopposed marketing of unhealthy food and beverages targeting children on 13–14 September 2015. This event is part of WHO’s initiative to fight overweight and obesity, a condition that affects more...

Health workers in a damaged area of Deir-Ez-Zor, Syrian Arab Republic19 August, 2015, Cairo, Egypt -- Every year, World Humanitarian Day provides us with the opportunity to recognize and honour the people who help other people -- the humanitarian aid workers who dedicate their lives to serving those in need.  This year’s theme focuses on health...

Dr Lisa Hedman, WHO headquarters; Dr Henk Bekedam, WHO Representative in Egypt; Dr Adel Adawi, H.E. the Minister of Health of Egypt; Dr Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean; Dr Manal El Sayed, Ministry of Health; Dr Gottfried Hirnschall, Director of the HIV Department, WHO headquarters; and Dr Amr Kandeel, Ministry of...

Cairo, 23 July, 2015 – The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean will host an event to observe World Hepatitis Day on 28 July 2015 in Cairo, Egypt. The regional theme of this year’s day is “Prevent hepatitis B and C”. It aims to generate both political and public awareness and action around the need to prevent hepatitis B and C. Viral...

10 June 2015, Cairo, Egypt  --  World Blood Donor Day, celebrated on 14 June, is an occasion to raise awareness of the need for regular blood donations to ensure quality, safety and availability of blood and blood products for patients in need.  Under the slogan “Give freely, give often. Blood donation matters”, World Blood Donor Day this year...

27 May 2015 | Cairo, Egypt – On World No Tobacco Day, 31 May, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean is calling on countries to stop the illicit trade of tobacco products, by committing to, and becoming Party to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products. “Ratifying, accepting, approving or...