New Regional Operational Strategic Plan for the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region

14 October 2024, Cairo, Egypt - WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy introduced the new Regional Strategic Operational Plan for the coming 4 years for review and endorsement during the Seventy-first session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean.

With the ambitious goal of enabling all peoples of the Region to lead the healthiest lives possible, the Regional Strategic Operational Plan adapts WHO's 14th Global Programme of Work (GPW 14) to the regional context. Its mission is "to strengthen national capacities to provide better public health and clinical services for all our people, supported by a WHO that is more fit for purpose".

The operational plan, based on priorities identified by Member States, builds on the lessons learned from a regional review of progress in the last five years and was prepared through a broad consultative process involving Member States, UN agencies, international health and development agencies, academia, donors and nongovernmental organizations. It focuses on increasing investment in health and leaving no one behind and specifies clear actions and monitoring mechanisms for WHO and Member States to ensure mutual accountability.

The Plan details what WHO aims to achieve in the next 4 years and, by identifying the interventions needed, spells out how regional targets will be met.

Innovative solutions and new modalities for work include strengthening WHO country offices and making more use of mobile teams to respond to country needs on the ground. The Plan also emphasizes the need to leverage science, data and technology - including artificial intelligence - to inform the design and delivery of policies, strategies and plans.

Key innovations include the Regional Director's 3 flagship initiatives - on expanding equitable access to medical products, investing in a resilient health workforce and accelerating action on substance use - which address major cross-cutting bottlenecks. Successful implementation of the flagships will improve long-term health outcomes across the Region and bring economic and social gains.

Core priorities include all 5 pillars of GPW 14: the 3 technical pillars of Promote, Provide and Protect, plus 2 enabling pillars, Power and Perform. Polio has been included as an additional priority given the Eastern Mediterranean is the only WHO region where wild poliovirus remains endemic.

Members of the Seventy-first Regional Committee will be invited to endorse the Regional Strategic Operational Plan during their meetings in Doha, Qatar.