Actualités

05 August 2025

Excellencies, distinguished colleagues,

It is a pleasure to join you today for this timely roundtable on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and health workforce education.

I thank Dr Saad Alfuhaid, President of the Arabian Gulf University,

for bringing us together, and I warmly acknowledge the leadership of Dr Jameela Alsalman, Chair of WHO’s Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on AMR.

AMR remains one of the defining health challenges of our time. In 2021 alone, more than 96,000 deaths in the Eastern Mediterranean Region were attributable to bacterial AMR—nearly a third of this was among children under five.

Across our Region, surveillance systems remain limited, and diagnostic stewardship is underdeveloped. Equitable access to quality antibiotics is not guaranteed—undermined by disrupted supply chains and compounded by over-the-counter sales that contribute to inappropriate use.

Yet there are signs of meaningful progress. Infection prevention and control; vaccination; and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) are increasingly recognized as vital tools in AMR prevention. And nearly all Member States have developed national action plans—a sign of strong political will.

Countries across the Region are integrating WHO’s AWaRe classification into their essential medicines lists, and One Health coordination is advancing.

But for these efforts to succeed, we need a health workforce that is equipped, empowered, and supported. Education and training are our first line of defence.

Future health professionals—whether prescribers or not—must understand the science behind antimicrobial drugs, how to prevent infections, engage with communities, and ensure the safe and responsible use of antimicrobials.

WHO has developed a range of tools to support Member States, including a

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06 August 2025

His Excellency Lieutenant General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior

Her Excellency Dr Jalila bint El-Sayed Jawad Hassan, Minister of Health

The Honourable Shaikh Khalid bin Humood bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Governor of the Capital Governorate

The Honourable Hassan Abdullah Mohammed Al Madani, Governor of the Northern Governorate

The Honourable Salman Bin Isa Bin Hindi Al Mannai, Governor of Muharraq

Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Guests,

It is with great pride that I announce the official designation of the Northern Governorate and Muharraq Governorate as Healthy Governorates by the World Health Organization—joining the Capital Governorate, which received this distinction earlier this year.

I commend the Kingdom of Bahrain for its commitment to scaling up the Healthy Cities Programme and, for the first time in the Region, extending it to the Governorate level. This is a remarkable achievement.

Bahrain is the first country in the Eastern Mediterranean Region to have three Governorates formally recognized under WHO’s Healthy Cities Programme. This recognition reflects a proactive vision to create urban environments that safeguard and promote the physical, mental, and social well-being of all residents.

The journey began in 2018, when Umm al Hassam was designated the first Healthy City in Bahrain.

Then in 2021, Manama became the first capital city in the Eastern Mediterranean Region to be designated a Healthy City.

In 2023, under the leadership of His Excellency the Minister of Interior, the Capital Governorate signed a Letter of Collaboration to expand the model—culminating in WHO certification in January 2025.

In 2024 and 2025, rigorous assessments by the Ministry of

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18 August 2025

Distinguished colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 24th intercountry meeting of poliovirus laboratory directors in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Your work is critical to the Region’s progress towards polio eradication.

The precision, dedication, and collaboration that define this laboratory network are essential to timely detection, effective outbreak response, and ultimately, eradication.

I would like to thank our hosts, the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and Dr Iman Shankiti, WHO Representative in Jordan, for her leadership and support.

Our Region remains the only one where wild poliovirus type 1 still circulates—confined to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

While both countries face persistent challenges—including access and insecurity—2025 has seen a decline in cases, giving us a critical window to stop transmission within the next 6-12 months.

At the same time, we continue to respond to outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in Djibouti, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

Earlier outbreaks in Egypt and Sudan were successfully ended, thanks to a swift response and sensitive surveillance.

As we move closer to eradication and eventual certification, the quality of surveillance and laboratory performance becomes even more important.

I commend your efforts to meet the targets of the Global Poliovirus Surveillance Action Plan, particularly regarding the timeliness of poliovirus detection.

Environmental surveillance is now operational in 17 of the Region’s 22 Member States, and is being planned for rolled out in Libya, Morocco, Qatar, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.

All polio laboratories in the Region remain WHO-accredited—a reflection of your professionalism and commitment.

Cross-regional collaboration has

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FAO, UNICEF, WFP and WHO reiterate call for immediate ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access to curb deaths from hunger and malnutrition

22/08/2025- ROME/GENEVA/NEW YORK – More than half a million people in Gaza are trapped in famine, marked by widespread starvation, destitution and preventable deaths, according to a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis released today. Famine conditions are projected to spread from Gaza Governorate to Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis Governorates in the coming weeks.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), UNICEF, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have collectively and consistently highlighted the extreme urgency for an immediate and full-scale humanitarian response given the escalating hunger-related deaths, rapidly worsening levels of acute malnutrition and plummeting levels of food consumption, with hundreds of thousands of people going days without anything to eat.

The agencies reinforced that famine must be stopped at all costs. An immediate ceasefire and end to the conflict is critical to allow unimpeded, large-scale humanitarian response that can save lives. The agencies are also gravely concerned about the threat of an intensified military offensive in Gaza City and any escalation in the conflict, as it would have further devastating consequences for civilians where famine conditions already exist. Many people – especially sick and malnourished children, older people and people with disabilities – may be unable to evacuate.

By

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Government representatives call for standardized public health procedures at the close of a 3-day simulation exercise.

25 August 2025, Cairo, Egypt – Government representatives from Egypt, Libya, Sudan and Tunisia — major countries on migratory routes in North Africa — convened in Cairo from 18–20 August for a 3-day table-top simulation exercise (SimEx) organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The 4 countries share porous borders. Displaced people often face overcrowding, inadequate shelter, poor sanitation and limited access to timely, quality health care services. These conditions create public health risks for migrants, refugees and host communities. When health care services are not accessible to all, it fuels inequity and undermines health security.

The SimEx brought together delegates from Ministries of Health, Interior and Transport to test preparedness for cross-border population movements in line with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005). Focused on ensuring access to health services for refugees, migrants and other people on the move while reinforcing national health security, it involved interactive and practical exercises on stakeholder coordination for public health event prevention, detection and response, aiming to improve compliance with IHR 2005, enhance communication between sectors and identify gaps to strengthen cross-border public health management, including access to health care services.

At the conclusion of the exercise, the multisectoral government representatives recommended standardizing public health procedures across borders to

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