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World Immunization Week 2017: #VaccinesWork
19 April 2017, Cairo – On the occasion of World Immunization Week – celebrated annually between 24 and 30 April – WHO highlights the vital importance of immunization as the most cost-effective preventative intervention in public health. Under the theme “#VaccinesWork”, World Immunization Week in 2017 calls on governments and all stakeholders to ensure...
WHO's Regional Director launches National Immunization Week in Lebanon
H.E. the Minister of Public Health of Lebanon Ghasan Hasbani, WHO Regional Director Dr Mahmoud Fikri and Director-General of the Ministry of Health Dr Walid Ammar visit a vaccine storage warehouse in KarantinaBeirut, Lebanon, 10 April 2017 – WHO’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Mahmoud Fikri and H.E. Deputy Prime Minister and...
WHO Regional Director meets Lebanese President H.E. Michel Aoun to discuss regional public health challenges
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health of Lebanon Mr Ghassan Hasbani and WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Mahmoud Fikri7 April 2017 – WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Mahmoud Fikri today met the President of Lebanon H. E. Michel Aoun at the presidential palace in Lebanon to discuss public...
Nationwide immunization campaign protects 5 million children against polio in war-torn Yemen
WHO UNICEF and the World Bank are working closely with health authorities to keep Yemen polio-free and curb the spread of measlesSupport from the World Bank, WHO and UNICEF critical to reach every vulnerable child SANA’A, 8 April 2017 — In an effort to keep Yemen polio-free, nearly 5 million children under the age of 5 have been vaccinated in a...
Fight stigma. Speak out about depression
6 April 2017 – On World Health Day, 7 April, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on individuals and communities to speak out about depression and to fight the stigma surrounding it. The slogan for this year’s Day is “Depression: let’s talk”. Talking about depression helps break down stigma and encourages more people to seek help. To...
WHO Regional Director met with H.E. President of Pakistan during his official visit to the country
WHO Regional Director Dr Mahmoud Fikri (centre) meets with H.E. the President of Pakistan Mamnoon HussainIslamabad, 2 April 2017 – Dr Mahmoud Fikri, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, visited Islamabad, Pakistan, from 30 to 31 March. During his first official visit to the country, Dr Fikri met with several high-ranking...
WHO calls for increased support for health aid in Syria and refugee-hosting neighbouring countries
3 April 2017 – As the world’s leaders gather in Brussels on 4–5 April, the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria continues to unfold. More than 6 years into the conflict, the violence is unrelenting. As always, it is civilians who pay the highest price: almost 300 000 people have been killed and 1.5 million people injured, including thousands of...
Regional Director thanks United Arab Emirates for support of Polio Eradication Initiative in Pakistan
WHO delegation led by Dr M Fikri, WHO Regional Director, were received by H.E. Abdulaziz Alneyadi, First Secretary, United Arab Emirates embassy in Pakistan, and H.E. Abdulla Khalifa Al Ghufli, Director of United Arab Emirates Project to Assist PakistanIslamabad, 30 March 2017 – During his 2-day visit to Pakistan on 30–31 March 2017, Dr Mahmoud...
Within hours of opening its doors, Athbah trauma field hospital treats casualties from west Mosul
Health workers in Athba Field Hospital attend to trauma patients from west Mosul Photo credit/ASPENMosul, Iraq 29 March 2017: With medical capacities to treat severely wounded people significantly reduced due to conflict and coupled with the increased trend of traumatic injuries among civilians, the World Health Organization, the Federal...
World TB Day: Unite to End TB and alleviate the suffering of millions
22 March 2017, Cairo – The World Health Organization (WHO) calls for united efforts to put an end to tuberculosis (TB) that is still affecting millions of people around the world. On the occasion of World TB Day, celebrated on 24 March, WHO renews the call to “Unite to End TB” through actions to address stigma, discrimination and marginalization and...
