Cholera remains a significant public health threat in many countries worldwide. In resource-constrained settings, it disproportionately affects thousands of poor and vulnerable population
Internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, migrants and returnees constitute a sizeable population in the WHO Eastern
...
Mediterranean Region. There were 12 million refugees (half are Palestinians) and 13 million IDPs in the Region as of 2018. These populations are often vulnerable to poor health due to the conditions they live in and limited access to needed quality health care. In addition, those who can access care, are often faced with financial hardship. There are also 46 million professionals and low-income labour migrants in the Region (of which 22 million are from the Region), with differential access to health services and varied health coverage schemes
more
The report “Build back fairer: achieving health equity in the Eastern Mediterranean Region”
...
provides ground breaking insights into the state of health inequities in the Region and urges countries to take action to address the social determinants of health to reverse the worsening trend of inequity – aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing conflict, mass movements of people, environmental challenges, gender inequities and unemployment.
more
This document accompanies the interim guidance on “Strengthening Preparedness for COVID-19 in cities and urban settings”. It provides local authorities, leaders and policy-makers in cities with
...
a checklist tool to ensure that key areas have been covered. An excel version that local authorities may wish to adapt to meet their needs is also available. It allows filtering by steps of action; suggested domains and responsible teams within local governments for each action; and phase(s) of the emergency management cycle.
more
The most frequent health problems of newly arrived refugees and migrants include accidental injuries, hypothermia, burns, gastrointestinal illnesses, cardiovascular events, pregnancy- and delivery-related complications, diabetes and hypertension. Fe
...
male refugees and migrants frequently face specific challenges, particularly in maternal, newborn and child health, sexual and reproductive health, and violence. The exposure of refugees and migrants to the risks associated with population movements – psychosocial disorders, reproductive health problems, higher newborn mortality, drug abuse, nutrition disorders, alcoholism and exposure to violence – increase their vulnerability to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)
more
The introduction of vaccines for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) added another measure to the existing set of
recommended preventive measures
...
(wearing a mask in public, keeping a distance from other people and regular handwashing). The roll-out of the vaccines, however, raised concerns that vaccination may lead to lower adherence to the existing
preventive measures. The advice from the World Health Organization (WHO) was to continue these public health and
social measures after being vaccinated.1 However, evidence from other epidemics suggests that there is lower adherence to
preventive measures when some level of protection exists (for example, individuals who use human immunodeficiency virus
pre-exposure prophylaxis
more
What are the common health problems of refugees and migrants arriving in the European Region?
The WHO EMRO webpage on the "Regional framework for
...
action" outlines strategies for addressing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) within the Eastern Mediterranean region. The framework provides a roadmap for countries to reduce the prevalence and impact of NCDs such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and respiratory illnesses. It emphasizes preventive measures, health promotion, and the integration of NCD management into primary healthcare systems. Key components include policy development, surveillance, and the mobilization of resources to support sustainable NCD initiatives. The framework aims to strengthen regional collaboration to improve health outcomes related to NCDs.
more
The document is a summary report by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional
...
Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, focusing on a capacity-building workshop held in Abu Dhabi in 2019. The workshop addressed the management and care of substance use disorders, aiming to improve technical and managerial capacities in areas such as policy development, treatment services, prevention, monitoring, and international collaboration. Participants included representatives from 12 countries, WHO collaborating centers, and other UN agencies.
more
WHO has developed a new health kit to support treatment for chronic disease patients in emergency settings. The prevalence of NCDs is increasing wo
...
rldwide, including in emergency/crisis-prone areas. Yet current humanitarian response has not accounted for this emerging burden. The NCD kit attends to cover this gap by providing essential medicines and medical devices for the management of hypertension and cardiac conditions, diabetes and endocrine conditions, chronic respiratory diseases, and mental health and neurological conditions and neurological conditions for outpatient care in primary health care settings.
more
The document outlines strategies for reducing salt intake to combat high blood pressure, strokes, and heart disease in the
...
Eastern Mediterranean Region. It highlights the need for progressive reductions in salt consumption, particularly in staple foods like bread, while promoting public awareness, engaging stakeholders, and setting regulatory standards to achieve sustainable health benefits.
more
This report includes analysis from informal regional consultations in the African Region, the Caribbean and North America, Latin America, South-Eas
...
t Asia Region, European Region, Eastern Mediterranean Region, alongside three forums in the Western Pacific Region. It analyses the overarching similarities, regional nuances and priorities raised across the six WHO regions for the meaningful engagement of individuals with lived experience.
It is the second publication in the WHO Intention to action series, which aims to enhance the limited evidence base on the impact of meaningful engagement and address the lack of standardized approaches on how to operationalise meaningful engagement. The Intention to action series aims to do this by providing a platform from which individuals with lived experience, and organizational and institutional champions, can share solutions, challenges and promising practices related to this cross-cutting agenda. The Intention to action series also aims to provide powerful narratives, inspiration and evidence towards the Fourth United Nations High Level Meeting on NCDs in 2025 and achieving the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
more
The WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional
...
Office's webpage on cholera information resources provides a comprehensive collection of materials to support understanding and management of cholera outbreaks. It includes posters for public education, recent publications such as Global Defence Against the Infectious Disease Threat (with a chapter on cholera), Cholera Outbreak: Assessing the Outbreak Response and Improving Preparedness, and First Steps for Managing an Outbreak of Acute Diarrhoea. Additionally, it features policy documents like the WHO statement on international travel and trade during cholera outbreaks and the World Health Assembly resolution WHA 64.15 on cholera control and prevention. The page also links to the Global Task Force on Cholera Control and provides cholera country profiles, offering valuable insights into global and regional efforts to combat cholera.
more
Every year, millions of patients are affected by infections transmitted during their stay in a health-care facility, where resistant germs are often transferred via the hands of health workers. Resistance to antimicrobials reduces or impedes
...
the effectiveness of any treatment for the prevention and cure of infections. Hand hygiene is the most effective intervention to reduce transmission of infections and resistant germs. The World Health Organization recommends the 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene. Watch this video produced by WHO's Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean to learn more about Hand Hygiene and the WHO 5 moments !
more