The 71st session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean opens in Doha
14 October 2024, Doha, Qatar – The 71st session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean (RC71) opened this morning in Doha, Qatar. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who joined virtually, and WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy inaugurated the event alongside H.E. the Minister of Public Health of Qatar Dr Hanan Al-Kuwari and H.E. the Minister of Health and Human Services of Somalia Dr Ali Haji Abubakar, who chaired the previous Regional Committee session.
High-level officials from the 22 countries and territories of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region attend the Regional Committee alongside representatives from international, regional and national organizations. This year’s session, Dr Balkhy’s first as Regional Director, is being held under the banner Health Beyond Borders.
During the first session, Dr Hanan Al-Kuwari was elected Chair of RC71, and the ministers of health of Djibouti and the Islamic Republic of Iran were elected Vice Chairs.
In her opening remarks, Dr Al-Kuwari said: “In several countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, conflicts, epidemics and political unrest have weakened health services, requiring responsibility, solidarity and equity to improve the lives of all people. We have learned from pandemics and epidemics the importance of solidarity, and that protecting health requires global efforts that transcend national borders.
“The State of Qatar firmly believes that investing in global health and in the World Health Organization is an investment in stability and security.”
Dr Abubakar highlighted the fruitful deliberations of RC70 in his opening remarks. “Our journey towards a healthier, more