25 April 2025 On this World Malaria Day, we are reminded of the devastating impact malaria continues to have on the world’s most vulnerable people. In 2023 alone, over 600,000 lives were lost to this preventable and treatable disease. In the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, more than 375 million people remain at risk—most of them…
22 April 2025 Your Highness Princess Nouf bint Muhammad bin Abdullah, Excellencies, Distinguished guests, It gives me great pleasure to join you here to today to discuss the strategic partnership between the World Health Organization and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I am grateful to our gracious host, the King Khalid Foundation, for bringing us together…
24 April 2025, Cairo, Egypt – On World Malaria Day 2025, WHO and partners are promoting ‘Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite’, a campaign that aims to re-energize efforts at all levels, from global policy to community action, to accelerate progress towards malaria elimination. Malaria remains a significant public health challenge globally. In 2023, there…
9 April 2025 – The Sultanate of Oman welcomed World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy for a 1-day visit, on Wednesday, 9 April 2025, to reinforce collaboration to advance Health for All in Oman and the Region. The highlight of the visit was the launch of Oman’s National Health…
24 April 2025, Cairo, Egypt – World Immunization Week 2025, observed from 24–30 April, brings together the global health community to highlight the lifesaving power of vaccines and call for renewed commitment to immunization for all. Under the banner Immunization for All is Humanly Possible, this year’s campaign stresses how, with collective efforts and investment,…
15 April 2025, Cairo, Egypt – Two years into the conflict, Sudan’s health system is at breaking point. As the rainy season looms the country faces a perfect storm of disease outbreaks, malnutrition and collapsing services at a time when humanitarian access is dangerously restricted and funding for health is running dry. Today, more than…
Jerusalem, Cairo, Geneva, 7 April 2025 – On World Health Day, with the theme “Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures,” the Gaza Strip continues to be one of the most dangerous places to be a child and where pregnancy is clouded by fear due to ongoing violence, displacement and lack of medical access. Between 18 March and 4…
On World Health Day, marked every year on 7 April, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for global action to ensure access to high-quality health care for women and babies. Though there has been progress in reducing maternal and newborn mortality, the Eastern Mediterranean Region continues to face significant challenges in ensuring the health…
March 2025, Doha, Qatar – WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy concluded a successful official visit to Qatar aimed at strengthening collaboration on key health priorities, including health emergencies, climate change, humanitarian response, health workforce development and substance use. The visit marked a significant step in WHO’s deepening partnership with Qatar….
Tuberculosis remains a major public health challenge in the Eastern Mediterranean region, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In 2023 alone, the region recorded 936,000 new TB cases and nearly 86,000 deaths. Every 34 seconds, someone falls ill with tuberculosis, and every six minutes, another life is lost. These deaths are avoidable because TB is…
