Opening address by the Regional Director to the Seventy-first session of the WHO Regional …
Your Excellencies Ministers of Health and Heads of Delegations,
Director-General,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my honour and pleasure to welcome you to the 71st session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean.
This is my first Regional Committee as Regional Director, and I would like to start by thanking our outgoing Chair, His Excellency Dr Ali Haji Adam Abubakar, Minister of Health and Human Services of Somalia. Dr Ali.
I thank our gracious hosts, the Government of Qatar. They have engaged very energetically at every stage of preparations for this meeting, led by Her Excellency the Minister of Public Health, Dr Hanan Al-Kuwari.
And let me also thank all of you for joining the session. I am delighted to see so many people here and I am looking forward to a lively and fruitful few days.
At the same time, of course, we must not forget all those who were unable to join us. Sadly, some of our dearly valued colleagues and partners could not travel safely from their countries.
I am in daily contact with colleagues doing amazing work in the middle of some truly terrible situations. I say to them…
Your courage, professionalism and dedication are incredible.
You are an inspiration to all of us.
You may not be with us in person, but please know this: You are always on our minds.
And you are always, always in our hearts.
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This Regional Committee session is a crucial opportunity to discuss the emergencies and other major health challenges in our Region.
There will be an update on