WHO enhances national efforts to prevent the spread of leishmaniasis in Syria
4-year-old Omar after his recovery from leishmaniasis
5 December 2022, Aleppo, Syria – A 4-year-old child should be able to play outside with his friends. But not Omar, due to a large lesion on his cheek delivered by a sandfly carrying leishmaniasis.
Leishmaniasis is serious disease, spread by sandflies which bite uncovered parts of the body. It goes undetected during the first phases of infection, as patients experience no more than the effects they would from a regular mosquito bite. Once a few months have passed, the lesion begins to swell abnormally.
WHO cooperates with different health partners to reduce the suff...
Source: WHO EMRO News - December 5, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week calls upon leaders to renew global commitments
24 November 2022 – This week, the world is marking World Antimicrobial Awareness Week with a call for policy-makers to encourage health workers and the general public to adopt best practices to prevent the emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections and for all sectors to encourage the prudent use of antimicrobial medicines and to strengthen preventive measures to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) under the One Health approach.
Highlighting the theme “Preventing antimicrobial resistance together”, World Antimicrobial Awareness Week this year focuses on the global AMR threat and how to mobilize collective ...
Source: WHO EMRO News - November 24, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
Advancing nurturing care in humanitarian settings: overview of workshops in Arab countries
Amman/Beirut/Cairo, 17 November 2022 – Today, the Arab Network for Early Childhood, the International Rescue Committee, Save the Children, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization released a new report entitled “Advancing nurturing care in humanitarian settings: Overview of workshops in Arab countries”. The report shares learnings from a series of workshops held by partners in 2021 to advance commitment to early childhood development (ECD) in the region, and highlights efforts by Iraq, Jordan, Palestine and Syria to ensure nurturing care for children living in crisis settings.
The early years of life are critical f...
Source: WHO EMRO News - November 17, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
WHO is on the ground as climate-driven health emergency in the Greater Horn of Africa threatens ...
13 November 2022 – Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity. It is estimated that environmental factors take the lives of around 13 million people every year. Global warming is influencing weather patterns, causing heat waves, heavy rainfall and droughts.
The Greater Horn of Africa is facing an unprecedented, acute hunger and health crisis driven by climate change, and compounded by conflict and economic shocks. Forty-seven million people in that region are now experiencing high levels of malnutrition or worse – up from 31 million – and more will go hungry as the drought aff...
Source: WHO EMRO News - November 13, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
WHO warns that this winter may witness a strong comeback for influenza in the Eastern ...
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 surveillance is important to inform national, regional and global actions on preparing and responding to respiratory viral diseases. © WHO Natalie Naccache.
9 November 2022 – Although the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet over, WHO is also now focusing on preparedness for the 2022–20...
Source: WHO EMRO News - November 9, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
WHO Regional Director ’s statement on cholera outbreaks
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 worsening pattern across the Region, and the globe, as 8 of the 22 countries in our Region are grappling with outbreaks of cholera and acute watery diarrhoea.
Moreover, there are now 29 cholera outbreaks worldwide – the highest number on record. We know that...
Source: WHO EMRO News - November 2, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
Partnerships for health
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 the WHO Regional Committee of the Eastern Mediterranean.
During the session four distinguished panellists – representing the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Women in Global Health (WGH), the Ministry of Health in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and WHO – discuss...
Source: WHO EMRO News - October 13, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
Regional Director ’s statement for the RC 69 press conference
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 session convened under the theme “Reaching the Sustainable Development Goals in the post-COVID-19 age: accelerating universal health coverage and health security – Health for All by All”. The theme summarizes the urgent need to mobilize all of our capacities, will and strength...
Source: WHO EMRO News - October 13, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
Collaborative action supports SDGs
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 efforts by partners must complement each other rather than compete.
Moderated by Dr Christoph Hamelmann, Chef de Cabinet at the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Member State representatives appraised the joint actions of UN agencies in responding to national ...
Source: WHO EMRO News - October 13, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
Urban initiatives beat the clock: success stories from around the Region
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, solar-powered medical oxygen systems are saving lives, demonstrating how innovation can accelerate impact in fragile settings. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit only 26% of medical facilities surveyed in Somalia had an oxygen source. Now, solar-powered oxygen systems are b...
Source: WHO EMRO News - October 13, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
New and emerging nicotine and tobacco products pose challenges for tobacco control
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 nicotine and tobacco products which it sells as “smoke free”, “less harmful”, “cleaner” and “safer” than their conventional counterparts, and claims can be used as effective cessation aids.
A side event ¬– Report on the most recent data on emerging tobacco a...
Source: WHO EMRO News - October 12, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
One planet, one health: building sustainable and resilient health care systems
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 WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean discussed a regional framework based on WHO guidance to enable health care systems and facilities to become climate resilient and environmentally sustainable by optimizing the use of resources and minimizing the release of w...
Source: WHO EMRO News - October 12, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
Towards more responsive and participatory health systems
(Source: WHO EMRO News)
Source: WHO EMRO News - October 12, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
Mass campaigns and collaborating centres: success stories from the Region expand outreach
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 offered diagnostic services through mobile clinics and to date more than 40 000 presumptive TB patients among the migrant population have been screened for TB.
Morocco is developing new strategies to ensure that people with cancer get palliative care. Mo...
Source: WHO EMRO News - October 12, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
Regular sessions begin for the 69th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern ...
11 October 2022, Cairo ‒ The 69th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean proceeded with regular sessions today.
Presenting his annual report for 2021, Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, underlined how the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to exact a heavy toll, with a total of 28 million cases confirmed and more than 348 000 deaths reported across the Region by October 2022, amid widespread disruption to health services, economies and communities.
Dr Al-Mandhari also drew attention to how the midterm review of the regional vision Health for All by All ...
Source: WHO EMRO News - October 11, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
