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...

Dr Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director, said that new approaches were needed to ensure greater protection of people and health workers during conflict21 May 2015 – In a speech at a side meeting "A tribute to health workers" at the World Health Assembly, Dr Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, called for respect and safety for...

Cairo, 10 May 2015 – The fourth annual seminar on global health diplomacy concluded in Cairo with a commitment from participants to advocate for the concept of health diplomacy in their respective countries. The meeting was attended by high-level representatives of health and foreign affairs, including ministers, ambassadors, deans of diplomatic...

Cairo, 2 May 2015: The World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean held the fourth seminar on health diplomacy in Cairo, Egypt, from 2 to 4 May 2015. More than 90 senior officials from ministries of health and foreign affairs,  ministers and permanent missions at the United Nations in Geneva, ambassadors, heads of...