WHO EMRO | Regional Health Alliance strategic dialogue: towards a unified regional WHO–UN health agenda in 2025 | News

On 15 January 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, under the leadership of Regional Director Dr Hanan Balkhy, will host a landmark meeting of the Regional Health Alliance (RHA) at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Cairo, Egypt.

Bringing together over 80 participants from the 18 UN organizations in the Alliance, the high-level gathering marks a pivotal step in WHO’s efforts to foster a unified UN health agenda for the Region.

Director of Programme Management Dr Adham Abdel Moneim, acting Regional Emergency Director Dr Ahmed Zouiten, Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage and Life Course Dr Bruce Aylward and Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products Dr Yukiko Nakatani will be among the attendees.

Invitees to the meeting include regional directors and technical officers from FAO, IOM, ITU, OCHA, the World Bank, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UN-Habitat, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNODC, UNRWA, UN Women and WFP.

The meeting aims to strengthen multilateral collaboration and advance the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Discussions will focus on fostering engagement and identifying opportunities to align joint efforts with the newly endorsed WHO Regional Strategic Operational Plan 2025–2028, which is in harmony with the 14th General Programme of Work (GPW 14). The agenda will feature presentations of the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean’s 3 flagship initiatives, designed to tackle critical regional health priorities – expanding equitable access to medical products, investing in a resilient health workforce and accelerating public health action on substance use. Partners will also endorse the RHA Joint Action Plan for 2025, paving the way for coordinated efforts to deliver as “One UN”.

Meeting objectives

To foster collaboration on priority public health issues across UN development and humanitarian organizations;

To promote joint actions to address gaps in implementation of the health-related SDGs;

To promote and support collaboration, initiatives, and programmes to address transboundary and common health issues;

To promote coherent regional policy dialogues and advocacy strategies, and align regional and global health agendas; accordingly, and

To facilitate demand-driven support and integration of health in United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks (UNSDCFs).

A milestone for regional health cooperation

The gathering is a crucial milestone in uniting regional health initiatives under a shared “One UN” approach. By fostering collaboration among key stakeholders, the meeting seeks to develop actionable strategies to ensure equitable access to health care, strengthen health system resilience and tackle the Region’s most pressing public health challenges.

In the face of evolving health challenges, the meeting provides a platform to align efforts, resources and strategies and pave the way to a healthier future.