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The Executive Board of the World Health Organization, currently in Geneva for its fifty-fourth session, has appointed Dr. Hanane Balkhi from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the organization's Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region. This appointment follows her nomination by the World Health Organization Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean on October 10, 2023.

Dr. Hanane will assume her position on February 1, 2024, for a five-year term. She will be the first woman to hold the organization's director position in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

In her speech on this occasion, Dr. Hanane highlighted the world's many challenges—all of which have significant health implications. In addition to transformations in global geopolitics and the increasing number and frequency of emergencies exacerbated by extreme climate phenomena, there are crucial lessons to be learned from the world’s exit from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Hanane stated, "These challenges underscore an undeniable connection between health and climate, highlighting that every humanitarian crisis is essentially a health crisis."

She emphasized that achieving health goals remains a distant prospect without the establishment of peace, requiring effective health diplomacy and renewed commitment at both the global and local levels.

She also noted that the Eastern Mediterranean region is characterized by diversity, comprising strong economies and stable areas. However, it also has high levels of vulnerability, many displaced individuals, and a significant percentage of the global population requiring humanitarian aid, particularly in Sudan and occupied Palestine.

Dr. Hanane said, "In this context, ensuring the enjoyment of the right to health for all requires the adoption of innovative, forward-looking approaches supported by solid data."

The new regional director emphasized the need to prioritize the establishment of effective and resilient health systems and invest in them. She discussed the priorities and key initiatives that the regional office of the World Health Organization for the Eastern Mediterranean will launch.

She stated, "In preparation for the fourteenth program of work, my team will focus on two vital areas in harmony with the thirteenth program of work and the priorities of my five campaigns. We aim to strengthen integrated supply chains to ensure access to essential medicines and supplies for the entire population, a task that is not easy for many in the region."

Dr. Hanane expressed her gratitude to the Director-General of the World Health Organization, the member states of the Eastern Mediterranean region, and the Executive Board for their trust in her. She committed to working tirelessly to achieve the common goal of "health for all." She also thanked the outgoing regional director, Dr. Ahmed ben Salem Al-Mandhari, for his wise leadership during difficult times.

She said, "To achieve our common goal of realizing health for all, I strive to establish a continuous partnership and commit constant devotion to our collective efforts. While the World Health Organization, as the leading global health agency, will play a crucial role in achieving health for all, we can only succeed by working together and in solidarity."