Nurse Lotfiye Samra checks a patient’s temperature at the Rjail Arbaeen Primary Health Centre in Saida, Lebanon, which functions as a site for influenza-like illness surveillance. Respiratory samples are collected from symptomatic patients and tested for influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses. Information from this routine...

2 November 2022 – Good afternoon and welcome to today’s press briefing on the latest updates on cholera outbreaks in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.  After decades without a single case of cholera, the outbreaks that have been recently declared in Lebanon and Syria mark an unwelcome comeback in those countries.  In fact, this is part of a...

13 October 2022, Cairo – Multisectoral action that leaves no one behind and involves innovative youth-driven partnerships is central to achieving Health for All by All. This is what participants agreed during a panel discussion on “Leveraging partnerships for collective and transformative actions to achieve Health for All by All” during the 69th session of...

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful H.E. Dr Mai Al Kaila, Minister of Health of Palestine and Chair of the 69th session of the Regional Committee, Brothers and sisters from the media, We have just concluded the 69th session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, held between 10 and 13 October 2022. The...

13 October 2022, Cairo – The consensus among participants in the panel discussion “Supporting Member States to accelerate the implementation of health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through joint action by UN country teams (UNCTs)”, held during the 69th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, was that...

13 October 2022 – Qatar set a goal of achieving at least one WHO Healthy City accreditation by 2022 only to get there ahead of schedule when, in 2021, both Doha and Al Rayyan were awarded the designation. The Healthy Cities Programme makes health a central concern in all aspects of city administration, from transportation to waste management. In Somalia,...

12 October 2022, Cairo – Vaping is a gateway to smoking. Data show that people who vape are five times more likely to become regular cigarette smokers, a habit that claims a life every four seconds. The tobacco industry is using new strategies to fuel its multi-billion-dollar turnover. It is flooding markets around the world with new and emerging...

12 October 2022, Cairo – Climate change is now regarded as the greatest global health threat of the 21st century. Human activities continue to cause environmental pollution and loss of biodiversity, factors that are leading not only to the emergence of new diseases but to the redistribution of existing ones. A side event at the 69th session of the...

12 October 2022, Cairo – Regional health policy-makers and experts have paved the way towards a regional agenda on priorities for advancing health systems participatory governance.  Discussions took place during a side event on “Institutionalizing Participatory Governance in the Eastern Mediterranean Region” organized by the health system...

12 October 2022 – Against a backdrop of rising tuberculosis (TB) incidence rates – from 40 cases per 100 000 in 2019 to 59 per 100 000 in 2021 ­– Libya has taken action to ensure migrants can access life-saving TB services. In January 2020, a new project began offering TB services through outreach activities. Migrants displaying TB symptoms are...