February 2025

Esteemed Chair, Your Excellencies, Director-General,

It is my honour to brief you on the 71st session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean.

As a new Regional Director, I was pleased to receive strong support from the Committee.

The Committee endorsed a strategic operational plan which will guide implementation of GPW 14 in our Region.

The plan includes initiatives to strengthen the health workforce, tackle substance use and enhance equitable access to medical products, for example by upgrading regulatory systems.

The plan will also reinforce ongoing work to transform WHO, including streamlining operations, optimizing support to countries and leveraging partnerships through our groundbreaking Regional Health Alliance.

Member States were keenly aware of the huge humanitarian burden in the Region and the need to bridge the gap between escalating demands and declining funding.

The Committee adopted a regional operational framework for trauma care in humanitarian settings and a regional action plan for mental health and psychosocial support in emergencies, to enhance emergency preparedness and response.

Several other regional instruments were also endorsed on key issues including:

addressing antimicrobial resistance;

enhancing health information systems;

implementing Immunization Agenda 2030;

strengthening local vaccine production; and

strengthening health laboratory services.

Thank you, Chair.