Cairo, Egypt (Enmaeya News) — The World Health Organization’s Regional Health Alliance (RHA) convened a high-level meeting in Cairo this week, bringing together UN agencies and representatives from six of the Eastern Mediterranean region's most health-challenged countries to fast-track efforts to eliminate polio and improve maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH).
Delegates from Afghanistan, Djibouti, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen joined representatives from nine UN agencies, including WHO, UNICEF, and UNFPA, in an urgent bid to address alarming health outcomes in the region.
These six countries alone accounted for an estimated 694,000 of the region’s 812,000 under-five deaths in 2023—nearly 85 percent. The maternal mortality rates in these countries also remain among the highest in the world, ranging from 155 to 563 deaths per 100,000 live births.
The summit comes amid growing concern that many countries in the region are falling short of global health targets. Current data show that 60 nations are not on track to reduce under-five mortality, and 65 are unlikely to meet neonatal survival goals outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Against this backdrop, the Cairo meeting sought to revive political commitment and intensify joint action under the SDG framework. The key objectives are to reduce maternal mortality to fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births and to end preventable deaths among newborns and children under five by 2030. To achieve these targets, the RHA aims to scale up evidence-based initiatives such as the Every Woman, Every Newborn, Everywhere (EWENE) and the Child Survival Action agenda.
A central focus of the discussions was polio eradication. Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only two countries in the world with ongoing wild poliovirus transmission.
Together with Somalia, Yemen, and Sudan, these countries account for nearly 90 percent of the region’s “zero-dose” children—those who have not received any routine vaccinations.
Participants emphasized the urgency of coordinated immunization campaigns, particularly in conflict-affected and underserved areas. They also highlighted the need to integrate polio campaigns with broader primary healthcare and maternal-child health services.
Established in 2019, the RHA serves as a UN platform to align strategies, share resources, and pool technical expertise to respond to the region’s most pressing health needs. This week’s meeting reinforced that mission, calling for increased investment, stronger national ownership, and tighter coordination among international actors.
As the region grapples with instability, displacement, and under-resourced health systems, the RHA is positioning itself as a driver of collective action and accountability to reverse preventable health tragedies and ensure no mother or child is left behind.
