Statement by the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean on monkeypox
Geneva, Switzerland, 26 May 2022
Dear colleagues,
A warm welcome from WHO headquarters in Geneva, where I am currently attending the 75th World Health Assembly.
Over the past few weeks, WHO’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean has been closely following reports of monkeypox in countries in other WHO regions where the disease is not usually found.
As of 25 May, there are 157 total confirmed cases globally, including one confirmed case in our Region, reported by the United Arab Emirates on 24 May. More countries, including in our Region, are identifying and investigating suspected cases.
Reports of monkeypo...
Source: WHO EMRO News - May 26, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
First case of monkeypox reported in WHO ’s Eastern Mediterranean Region
24 May 2022, Cairo, Egypt – The first case of monkeypox in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region has been reported by the Ministry of Health and Prevention in the United Arab Emirates as countries continue to scale up detection and response capacities for this viral disease. The patient is currently receiving treatment and additional suspected cases are being investigated.
As of 23 May, 131 confirmed cases have been reported from 18 countries across the different WHO regions, with an additional 106 suspected cases being investigated. The confirmed cases are reported from non-endemic countries that do not usually report m...
Source: WHO EMRO News - May 24, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
International Nurses Day 2022: Nurses: Respect, support and appreciate them
12 May 2022 Every year on 12 May, the world marks International Nurses Day in recognition of the tireless and invaluable contribution of nurses to health care and global health security. Nurses and midwives make up more than half of the health workforce in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region. However, the Eastern Mediterranean Region accounts for 17% of the global shortage of 5.9 million nurses according to the report “State of the world's nursing 2020: investing in education, jobs and leadership”. The Region has the second lowest density of nurses among WHO regions, at 15.6 nurses per 10 000 population, ranging from ...
Source: WHO EMRO News - May 12, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
Statement by the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean on the occasion of Eid ...
Cairo, Egypt, 1 May 2022 — As the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end, almost 2 billion Muslims in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and around the world will soon celebrate the Eid al-Fitr feast. On this occasion, I would like to wish everyone in the Region and beyond a blessed, happy, safe, and healthy Eid.
This is the third Eid al-Fitr feast that we mark during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our daily lives continue to be affected by this unprecedented public health emergency. Tragically, some of us will celebrate this year without the presence of family members or loved ones. To those who have faced unimaginable loss...
Source: WHO EMRO News - May 1, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
WHO condemns escalating violence and attacks on health workers in West Darfur, Sudan
Cairo, Egypt, 28 April 2022 – The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for the immediate cessation of armed violence in West Darfur, Sudan, that has resulted in hundreds of civilians killed or injured, the death of 2 health care workers, and attacks on 2 health facilities in the past 6 days alone.
“We are extremely alarmed by reports of escalating violence in Kereneik Town and other areas in West Darfur,” said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. “WHO joins the Special Representative of the Secretary General and other humanitarian agencies and partners in calling for an ...
Source: WHO EMRO News - April 28, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
Our planet, our health: Tunisia celebrates World Health Day
HE the Minister of Health Dr Ali Al-Mrabet and Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Ms Nayla Nawira Al-Qanji sign charter to address environmental health threats in Tunisia, accompanied by acting WHO Representative Ms Joumana George Hermez (far right)
21 April 2022 – On World Health Day, under the theme “Our planet, our health”, the WHO country office in Tunisia organized an event to advocate for renewed commitment to addressing environmental health threats.
The event was attended by HE the Minister of Health Dr Ali Al-Mrabet and Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Ms Nayla Nawira Al-Qanji, with the parti...
Source: WHO EMRO News - April 21, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
WHO Regional Director ’s statement on COVID-19
20 April 2022 – As of 16 April, the Eastern Mediterranean Region has reported almost 21.7 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and almost 342 000 deaths. Compared to last week, this week we saw a 21% decrease in the number of newly reported cases, and a 24% decrease in newly reported deaths. However, while the trends may seem encouraging, it is important to note that we have seen an increase in the number of new cases in 2 countries and an increase in deaths in 6 countries.
But even though deaths are decreasing to some of the lowest numbers since the start of the pandemic, transmission remains high, vaccination coverage ...
Source: WHO EMRO News - April 20, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
World Health Day 2022 calls to protect our planet and our health
April 2022, Cairo – World Health Day 2022 will be celebrated globally on the 7 April, focusing on environmental threats and their effect on the health of the planet.
The theme of this year's campaign is "Our planet, our health", which aims to keep humans and the planet healthy and foster a movement to create societies more focused on well-being.
Environment-related issues are among the major causes of health problems worldwide. WHO estimates that more than 13 million deaths around the world each year are due to avoidable environmental causes. This includes the climate crisis that is the single biggest health thr...
Source: WHO EMRO News - April 5, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
WHO, UNICEF, Qatar and partners meet to discuss interim health priorities in Afghanistan
Cairo/Doha/Kabul/Kathmandu, 31 March 2022--Delegates from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, donors, Afghanistan representatives and other humanitarian partners convened in a high-level meeting hosted by the State of Qatar to discuss interim health priorities for Afghanistan over the next 18-24 months. During the 3-day meeting, organized in Doha on 29-31 March, health experts jointly reviewed the current situation and gaps in health service delivery and identified solutions to strengthen the overall service system. The delegates also discussed opportunities to improve health governance and coordination, and colla...
Source: WHO EMRO News - March 31, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
Regional Director's statement on observing the holy month of Ramadan safely in 2022
Dear family, friends, and colleagues in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region and around the world,
Later this week, more than a billion and a half Muslims around the world will welcome the start of the holy month of Ramadan. One of the blessings of Ramadan is that Muslims can count on it every year to revive their spiritual and religious practices, which can become diluted among the chaotic hustle and bustle of daily life. While doing so, Muslims are reacquainted and reminded every year of fundamental teachings that they might have overlooked or forgotten along the remaining 11 months.
During the early stages of the COVI...
Source: WHO EMRO News - March 31, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
Minister of Public Health, WHO ’s Director-General and Regional Director inaugurate WHO office ...
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General, H.E. Dr Hanan Mohammed Al-Kuwari, Minister of Public Health, and Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean
Doha, 30 March 2022 – H.E. Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al-Kuwari, Minister of Public Health, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General, and Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO's Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, today inaugurated a new WHO country office in Qatar to strengthen cooperation between Qatar and WHO, support the achievement of Qatar's national health goals and contribute to regional and global public health...
Source: WHO EMRO News - March 30, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
High-level meeting on interim priorities for the health sector in Afghanistan: 29-31 March 2022
Cairo, 29 March 2022 The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF are holding a high-level meeting on interim priorities for the health sector in Afghanistan over the next 18-24 months between 29-31 March 2022 in Doha, Qatar.
Delegates from WHO, UNICEF, the State of Qatar, Afghanistan, donors, and other humanitarian partners convene to:
review gaps in health and nutrition service delivery and identify options for addressing them as well as
progress and persistent gaps in humanitarian response and emergency risk management (including COVID-19, disease outbreaks, acute malnutrition) and identify options for addressing t...
Source: WHO EMRO News - March 29, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
Humanitarian crisis in Yemen: eight years on, WHO is strengthening the health system, ...
27 March 2022 Since 2015, Yemen has faced a severe and complex humanitarian crisis due largely to the growing activities of armed groups, inter-community tensions, and economic decline.
The Yemen crisis is also linked to additional factors such as food and nutrition insecurity, COVID-19, other disease outbreaks, climate change, and natural disasters. A devastated health system, disruption of water and sanitation networks, and massive numbers of displaced people have fueled the rapid spread of diseases including cholera, diphtheria, measles, polio, and dengue.
Yet, amidst the devastation, the Yemeni people remain determ...
Source: WHO EMRO News - March 27, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
World Tuberculosis Day 2022: Invest to end TB. Save lives.
March 2022, Cairo – On 24 March, the world marks World Tuberculosis Day and WHO invite leaders to invest to end TB and Save lives. Investing in this disease that has devastating health, social and economic impacts on people can find missing cases, reduce mortality and improve productivity. One dollar well invested in TB prevention and care yields more than 40 dollars in return.
In 2020, the number of TB deaths in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region rose for the first time in over a decade, from 77,700 to 83,000. In 2021, WHO estimated that TB has killed more people worldwide than any other infectious disease, except CO...
Source: WHO EMRO News - March 22, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
Preparing for a COVID-19-safe Ramadan in 2022: A virtual panel discussion with religious scholars
20 March 2022 – Prominent Islamic scholars strongly recommend that people get vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of the holy month of Ramadan and continue to observe public health and social measures during the festivities to protect themselves and their loved ones from infection.
These recommendations came during a virtual panel discussion with the Islamic Advisory Group (IAG) that included eminent scholars from the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) in Saudi Arabia and Al Azhar Al Sharif in Egypt. The event was co-organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and the International Federation of Red Cr...
Source: WHO EMRO News - March 20, 2022 Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news
