WHO EMRO | RHA Convened to Enhance Efforts Against Polio
The Regional Health Alliance (RHA) convened in Cairo on July 17, 2025, to enhance efforts aimed at improving maternal, newborn, and child health across the Eastern Mediterranean Region. The one-day meeting brought together representatives from nine UN agencies and six priority countries, including Afghanistan, Djibouti, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. The focus was on implementing national strategies to reduce mortality rates and boost immunization coverage, particularly in light of alarming statistics indicating that many countries are falling short of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets.
Addressing High Mortality Rates
Recent data highlights a troubling trend in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, where six priority countries accounted for nearly 85% of under-five deaths in 2023. Out of a total of 812,000 under-five deaths, 694,000 occurred in these nations, which also reported some of the highest maternal mortality rates globally, ranging from 155 to 563 deaths per 100,000 live births. The meeting aimed to address these critical issues by fostering discussions on enhancing commitments and increasing investments in maternal, newborn, and child health. Participants are expected to explore strategies to meet the SDG targets established by UN Member States in 2015, which include reducing maternal mortality to below 70 per 100,000 live births and eliminating preventable deaths of newborns and children under five by 2030.
Collaborative Efforts for Health Improvement
The collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is crucial in this context. These organizations are working closely with high-burden countries to implement evidence-based interventions through initiatives like Every Woman, Every Newborn, Everywhere (EWENE) and Child Survival Action. The meeting underscores the importance of these partnerships in driving progress toward health goals and ensuring that effective strategies are in place to combat high mortality rates among mothers and children.
Polio Eradication and Immunization Challenges
Another significant focus of the meeting is the urgent need to eradicate polio and enhance immunization efforts against both polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases. Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only countries globally with ongoing wild poliovirus transmission. Together with Somalia, Yemen, and Sudan, they represent 90% of the 2.8 million zero-dose children in the region—those who have not received any routine vaccinations. This substantial immunity gap poses a serious threat not only to polio eradication efforts but also increases the risk of outbreaks of other vaccine-preventable diseases, including variant poliovirus outbreaks. The meeting emphasizes that sustaining high-quality immunization and surveillance activities, reaching zero-dose children, and strengthening community engagement are essential to achieving a polio-free region.
Strategic Importance of the Regional Health Alliance
Established in 2019, the Regional Health Alliance (RHA) serves as a UN platform comprising 18 agencies dedicated to advancing health-related SDGs in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. By fostering interagency collaboration and supporting Member States in addressing health priorities, the RHA enhances coordination and impact. In a context of limited resources, strategic alignment and efficiency are crucial for maximizing collective efforts to improve health outcomes across the region. The discussions held during this meeting are expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of maternal, newborn, and child health initiatives in the Eastern Mediterranean.
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