Remarks by Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean 24th ...

COVID-19 rates in the Southwestern United States reached 12.5%—the highest in the nation—according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meanwhile, Los Angeles County recorded the highest COVID-19 levels in its wastewater since February.

Substance use recovery is a lifelong process, but environmental triggers, such as alcohol at social gatherings or pain medication advertisements, can put individuals in recovery at risk of relapse.

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Maryland are up 123% over the last two weeks, the most hospitalizations in a month since April. While the state has typically seen a surge in COVID-19 cases during summer, this one is coming later than usual.

The latest California numbers suggest 2025 will be another record-smashing year for valley fever, the illness linked to drought and precipitation and spread by fungal spores.

As the new school year begins, experts say one simple habit can help kids succeed: getting enough sleep.

Millions of Americans have altered vision, ranging from blurriness to blindness. But not everyone wants to wear prescription glasses or contact lenses. Accordingly, hundreds of thousands of people undergo corrective eye surgery each year, including LASIK—a laser-assisted surgery that reshapes the cornea and corrects vision.

Acetaminophen is one of the most common painkillers and is found in hundreds of different medications. While safe at recommended doses, acetaminophen overdose is the leading cause of acute liver injury in the U.S.

The off-label use of ketamine to treat chronic pain is not supported by scientific evidence, a new Cochrane review has found.

A COVID infection, particularly in women, may lead to blood vessels aging around five years, according to research published in the European Heart Journal.

18 August 2025 Distinguished colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 24th intercountry meeting of poliovirus laboratory directors in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Your work is critical to the Region’s progress towards polio eradication. The precision, dedication, and collaboration that define this laboratory network are essential to timely detection, effective outbreak response, and ultimately, eradication. I would like to thank our hosts, the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and Dr Iman Shankiti, WHO Representative in Jordan, for her leadership and support. Our Region remains the only one where wild poliovirus type 1 still circulates—confined to Afghanistan and Pakistan. While both countries face persistent challenges—including access and insecurity—2025 has seen a decline in cases, giving us a critical window to stop transmission within the next 6-12 months. At the same time, we continue to respond to outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in Djibouti, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Earlier outbreaks in Egypt and Sudan were successfully ended, thanks to a swift response and sensitive surveillance. As we move closer to eradication and eventual certification, the quality of surveillance and laboratory performance becomes even more important. I commend your efforts to meet the targets of the Global Poliovirus Surveillance Action Plan, particularly regarding the timeliness of poliovirus detection. Environmental surveillance is now operational in 17 of the Region’s 22 Member States, and is being planned for rolled out in Libya, Morocco, Qatar, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. All polio laboratories in the Region remain WHO-accredited—a reflection of your professionalism and commitment. Cross-regional collaboration has Read more...

Ann Johnson became paralyzed after a brainstem stroke at age 30. As a participant in a clinical trial led by researchers at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco, she finally heard her voice again.

A global mental health crisis is evolving. And at the forefront of the surging rates of mental health disorders globally are women, who are disproportionately affected when compared to men.

One of the world's most dangerous water-borne microorganisms, commonly called a "brain-eating amoeba," has recently been detected in two drinking water supplies in southwest Queensland.

When you order a coffee, do you ask for it to be "extra hot?"

A narrow majority of Americans now believe even moderate consumption of alcohol negatively affects health, as US drinking levels continue to decline, according to a recent survey.

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Children's Hospital Colorado have found that better control of chronic eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE)-associated inflammation during childhood leads to less stiffening of the esophagus, resulting in fewer disease complications. Using Endoluminal functional imaging (FLIP), the study team suggests this could be a key marker for assessing disease severity and progression. The findings were published online today by the journal Gastroenterology.

One of the biggest challenges in cancer treatment is that certain cancers reappear after chemotherapy—and an aggressive type of blood cancer called acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is notorious for this. Now, new research from The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) points to a previously unknown molecular mechanism behind that chemoresistance, and a way to potentially disarm it.

New research, led by Queen Mary University and published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science, has revealed that highly sensitive people (HSP) are more likely to experience mental health problems compared to individuals who are less sensitive. Findings suggest that these individuals could benefit more from interventions such as mindfulness and techniques to strengthen emotional regulation skills.