WHO Regional Director's statement for virtual press briefing, 1 April

1 April 2021 – I would like to welcome you all today to this press briefing, and also I would like to give a warm welcome to my colleague Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa. WHO and UNICEF have a long history of working hand in hand to address some of the most urgent issues related to the health and well-being of all people in our Region. This solid partnership is at its strongest now during the COVID-19 pandemic, when we are facing a global threat that requires even more coordinated efforts. I am proud that our teams – together with many other partners – are on the ground leading the response to COVID-19, even in some of the most challenging settings. It saddens me to report that we continue to see a worrying trend in the number cases across the Eastern Mediterranean Region – which as you know, covers 22 countries and territory from Morocco in the west to Afghanistan in the east. Fourteen countries this week reported a significant increase in weekly cases in comparison with the previous week. Jordan, Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq reported the highest number of new cases, and Jordan, Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan reported the highest number of new deaths. There are several factors that could be associated with this increase of new cases. Some of this increase can be accounted for by the increased circulation of the variants of concern, which we are monitoring closely. But more importantly, and Read more...
Source: WHO EMRO News - Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news