Egypt's Minister of Health and Population, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar; confirmed that the World Health Organization (WHO) has played a crucial role in saving lives and improving the health of millions of people in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and around the world. This came in Abdel Ghaffar's speech, which he delivered on behalf of all member states in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of the WHO (EMRO) before the 76th General Assembly of the WHO, which he began by expressing his happiness and pride in participating in this assembly and celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the organization. The Minister of Health said that the EMRO has succeeded in making great progress in advancing the public health agenda over the past few decades, as many diseases have been eliminated, maternal and child mortality rates have decreased significantly, and millions of lives have been saved through immunization and other means. He added that the past two years have witnessed the immunization of the population of the region with nearly 900 million doses of vaccines against the Coronavirus, thanking the WHO and the other partners who helped achieve this achievement. Abdel Ghaffar added that the EMRO is still facing huge challenges, due to long-term conflicts and other emergencies that have weakened health systems and delayed progress towards the sustainable development goals, in addition to the poliovirus, which is still endemic in the region only. The Minister of Health and Population noted that the Coronavirus pandemic has clearly shown that public health emergencies can escalate in one country or region quickly, threatening global health security, to confirm the principle that no one is safe until everyone is safe. Moreover, Abdel Ghaffar stated that after overcoming the COVID-19 crisis, there is a need for the support of the WHO to help the countries of the region rebuild stronger and more resilient health systems so that they can achieve the goal of universal health coverage, eradicate polio, and ensure good preparation for cases of infection. emergencies and maintaining regional health security. The region also needs strong and effective support from the WHO and partners, to confront the ongoing epidemiological shift and the high rates of non-communicable diseases, by reaching a more innovative approach to strengthening health systems, promoting public health and achieving population health, the minister said.
