Iranian delegation attending WHO RC73
TEHRAN – An Iranian delegation led by Ali Jafarian, a senior advisor to the health minister, is participating in the 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Eastern Mediterranean (RC73), being held from October 13 to 15 in Cairo, Egypt.
The event has brought together health ministers and high-level delegates from the 22 countries and territories to set regional health priorities and guide WHO work with member states.
The Iranian official is scheduled to deliver a speech focusing on different health issues such as the impacts of sanctions and wars on the health system, the supply chain of medical items and equipment, the health ministry’s website reported.
Strengthening preparedness and response to public health emergencies, expanding technical and regional cooperation, and benefiting from the capacity of WHO to support the priorities of national health systems are among the issues to be discussed by the Iranian delegation. Jafarian is also planned to hold meetings with health officials from the Eastern Mediterranean office and the region.
The opening ceremony celebrated outstanding contributions to health in the Region. The State of Kuwait Prize for the Control of Cancer, Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes in the Eastern Mediterranean Region was presented to three laureates from Iran, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.
Amir-Ali Hamidieh, an Iranian professor at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, grabbed the prize for his pioneering work in paediatric haematology, oncology and stem cell transplantation.
A distinguished physician, academic and pioneer in paediatric haematology, oncology and stem cell transplantation, Hamidieh earned his M.D. from Islamic Azad University, Tehran, and pursued postgraduate training in paediatrics and paediatric haematology/ oncology at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. He later completed advanced fellowships in haematopoietic stem cell transplantation at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, United States of America.
Hamidieh currently serves as Professor of Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, where he also directs the Pediatric Cell and Gene Therapy Research Center.
He is the founder of the Iranian paediatric stem cell transplantation programme and the national stem cell donor network, which established the country’s first human leukocyte antigen (HLA) registry.
He chairs the National Council for Development of Stem Cell Sciences and Technologies under the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology and is a member of the executive boards of the Asia-Pacific Blood and Marrow Transplantation Group and the Iranian Food and Drug Administration.
His leadership has enabled the development of seven paediatric transplant centres across the Islamic Republic of Iran and the successful completion of more than 2100 paediatric stem cell transplants.
Hamidieh has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles on research spanning regenerative medicine, gene therapy, immunodeficiencies and paediatric cancers.
He has also led clinical innovations in CAR-T cell therapy and photopheresis across many countries. Through his academic leadership, clinical excellence and commitment to equitable care, Hamidieh has significantly advanced the field of paediatric stem cell transplantation in Iran and the broader Eastern Mediterranean Region.
RC73 at a critical time for health
The opening of RC73 comes at a critical time for health in the Region. Protracted and escalating emergencies continue to disrupt health systems, putting millions of lives at risk, at a time when countries are contending with disease outbreaks, persistent inequities, a growing burden of noncommunicable diseases and mounting financial pressures.
In his opening remarks, Adham Rashad Ismail, Officer-in-Charge of the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, highlighted the immense humanitarian and financial pressures facing the Region.
The official reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to sustaining essential health services and supporting countries through ongoing crises: “WHO must continue to support populations affected by conflict and crisis, protect essential health services and advocate for uninterrupted humanitarian access and funding. The people relying on health services in Afghanistan, the Gaza Strip, Sudan, Yemen and elsewhere cannot bear the consequences of shrinking resources.”
With the opening ceremony concluded, member states will discuss the Annual Report of the Regional Director 2025/2026, which provides a regional stock take of health progress, persistent challenges and WHO’s work with countries over the past year, helping to identify areas where progress needs to be sustained or accelerated.
The Committee will discuss two technical papers, “Advancing health financing for stronger financial protection in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: pathways to equity and resilience” which focuses on ways to build equity and resilience in health care funding and enhance financial protection for populations across the Region, and “A multi-disease elimination architecture for communicable diseases in the Eastern Mediterranean Region” which outlines joint strategies to tackle and eliminate multiple communicable diseases simultaneously.
Discussions will also cover health emergencies and polio eradication, and a panel on artificial intelligence for health will explore the opportunities presented by rapidly evolving technologies.
Member States will hold a regional consultation on the draft Program Budget 2028–2029 and review governance matters and resolutions and decisions of regional interest adopted by the World Health Assembly and WHO Executive Board.
The discussions and decisions taken at RC73 will guide collective action across the Eastern Mediterranean Region, from protecting health amid emergencies and completing the last mile of polio eradication to strengthening health financing, accelerating disease elimination and preparing health systems for the future.
MT/MG