Health Minister Leads Delegation at WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Committee Meeting
An Iranian delegation, led by Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarqandi, is currently participating in the Seventy-second session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean (RC72). This important event is taking place in Cairo, Egypt, from October 15 to 17, and aims to address critical health priorities and long-term reforms within the region.
Hosted by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, RC72 gathers health ministers, policy-makers, and regional leaders to tackle pressing health issues. The agenda covers a range of topics, including:
- Polio eradication
- Health emergencies
- Immunization programs
- Palliative care
- Climate change
- Impacts of sanctions on public health
During the conference, Zafarqandi is scheduled to meet with key figures such as Hanan Balkhy, the WHO director for the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO), along with other counterparts from the region. This year’s RC72 convenes amidst unprecedented global challenges, including conflicts, humanitarian crises, and climate change, which are exerting immense pressure on health systems across various nations.
RC72 serves as a vital platform for member countries to deliberate and adopt resolutions addressing some of the most urgent health topics in the region. This year, five significant technical papers will be presented, urging Member States to commit to:
- Halving the number of zero-dose children—those who have never received a vaccine—by 2030, along with the elimination of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome.
- Integrating palliative care into national health systems. Millions, including cancer patients, children with congenital conditions, and refugees with chronic illnesses, suffer and die in avoidable pain.
- Addressing health-system recovery in crisis-affected countries such as Afghanistan, the occupied Palestinian territory, Sudan, and Yemen. This resolution aims to ensure that humanitarian responses align with early investments in rebuilding health systems, restoring trust, and enhancing future resilience.
- Reviewing laboratory safety and governance, an area that has often been overlooked in regional health security discussions.
- Developing a climate-resilient health framework. Building on the Global Plan of Action on Climate Change and Health adopted at the World Health Assembly earlier this year, WHO EMRO is proposing a consultative process to formulate a regional operational framework on climate and health.
Additionally, ministers will review a series of progress reports concerning priority health issues, engage in discussions about governance matters, and consider endorsing a call to action on breast cancer, which remains the leading cancer among women in the region.
During a meeting on the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA), Balkhi commended Iran’s role as a regional leader in expanding its healthcare system and ensuring access to universal health coverage (UHC). She praised the country for its remarkable achievements in recent years, including:
- Expanding primary health care services
- Increasing access to health coverage in rural areas
- Maintaining high vaccination rates
- Reducing maternal and newborn mortality rates
According to the health ministry’s website, these accomplishments have positioned Iran as a successful role model for other countries in the region.
Furthermore, WHO EMRO is collaborating closely with Iranian regulatory institutions to achieve a regulatory maturity level 3 in the pharmaceutical regulatory system. This initiative aims to facilitate broader exports of Iranian health-oriented products to global markets, contributing to the enhancement of global health security, as highlighted by Balkhi.
The discussions and resolutions stemming from RC72 are expected to pave the way for improved health outcomes across the Eastern Mediterranean region. As health challenges continue to evolve, the collaborative efforts of member states and organizations like the WHO will be crucial in fostering a healthier future for all.
