Polio vaccination is vital for the safety of children The Islamic Research Academy of Al-Azhar has issued a statement urging parents around the world to continue vaccinating their children and avoid listening to rumours and false calls that ban polio vaccination. The statement reads, “As this disease endangers the lives of our children, causes...

Dr Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director General, and Dr Abdellatif Mekki, Minister of Public Health of Tunisia, at the conference – Value for money, sustainability and accountability in the health sectorIn Africa, more and more countries are being branded as middle-income countries and...

At the launch of the National Stop TB Partnership (from left to right): H.E Dr Majeed Hamad Amin, Minister of Health of Iraq, H.E Mrs Hero Ibrahim Ahmed, First Lady of Iraq, H.E Dr Rekawt Hama Rasheed, Minister of Health of the Kurdistan Regional Government, and Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain, WHO Representative“TB causes loss of human life and poses a...

The Road Safety in 10 Countries project is an international initiative that aims to raise road safety awareness in 10 low- and middle-income countries, including EgyptCairo, 20–21 June 2012 – Road traffic injuries are among the 10 leading causes of death and disability globally. In Egypt, road traffic crashes claim the lives of about 8000...

How much should countries spend on health, and how can this expenditure be tracked? As health care systems around the world continuously develop in response to changing demographics, disease patterns rapid technological development and highly complicated funding mechanisms, this is the kind of information required by the experts and policy-makers...

More than 3.2 million children under the age of five are being immunized against polio in South SudanIn many countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region, delivering immunization services is not an easy task. Demographic, geographic, social and economic challenges, in addition to limited health system capacities, often affect the delivery of...

Dr Alwan, WHO Regional Director (right), shakes hands with the Minister of Health of Morocco, H.E. Dr El Hussein El-Ouardi, accompanied by Dr Jaouad Mahjour of the Regional Office (left) and Mr Jilali Hazem, Ministry of Health, MoroccoH.E. Dr El Hussein El-Ouardi, the Minister of Health of Morocco, paid a one-day visit to the WHO Regional Office for...

This week, the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners celebrate World Blood Donor Day, the theme of which is “Every blood donor is a hero”. World Blood Donor Day is being commemorated this year while the world increasingly suffers from a shortage of blood supplies in hospitals and clinics. Out of the 80 countries where blood donation rates are...

A female nurse in Oman testing the blood pressure of a male patientDespite Oman’s increasing rates of noncommunicable diseases, its advances in the delivery of primary health care services have given the country extensive experience in health promotion and disease prevention. The country also has a strong tradition of multisectoral collaboration in...

Photo: Pauline Ajello / WHO 14 May 2012 - South Sudan became WHO’s newest and youngest Member State after its independence on 9 July 2011. WHO supports the Government and health authorities at central and local level in strengthening health systems, addressing public health issues and supporting and promoting research for health.   "WHO’s support in...