This Ramadan, we must fight for health

Ramadan was always my favorite time of year growing up in Jeddah. I cherished the iftar meals prepared with care, the visits to Makkah to see my grandparents and pray at the holy mosques, and the eager anticipation of children awaiting the arrival of Eid. The holy month carried a sense of joy and closeness — families united, laughter echoing late into the night.

This year, I find myself thinking of families across our region — in Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, Sudan, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Yemen, the list growing by the day — and how they are experiencing Ramadan.

No festive gatherings. No easy laughter. Instead: anxious parents glued to news broadcasts. Cars packed with families fleeing renewed hostilities. Sleepless nights in basements, shelters or school buildings, waiting in fear for what may come next.

This year, the holy month unfolds under fire.

Without an urgent injection of support, suffering will deepen — and more essential health services will close

Dr. Hanan Balkhy

The Eastern Mediterranean region has become the global epicenter of emergencies. Today, one in seven people across our region requires humanitarian assistance, accounting for half of global humanitarian needs. Fifteen World Health Organization-graded health emergencies are under way, eight at the highest level.

Conflict, displacement and disease now feed one another in a relentless cycle. Our region hosts 40 percent of the world’s internally displaced persons — placing immense pressure on fragile systems and increasing cross-border health risks. At the same time, 40 disease outbreaks across 13 countries — from cholera and measles to dengue and mpox — are spreading through communities already weakened by instability.

Attacks on healthcare are mounting. In 2025 alone, the Eastern Mediterranean region accounted for 40 percent of global attacks on health facilities and 90 percent of global deaths linked to such incidents.

For millions, fasting is no longer a spiritual discipline but an imposed reality. Nearly 80 million people across the region are food insecure, while famine conditions have been confirmed in parts of Gaza and Sudan.

With conflict comes the indignity of lost access to essential services: safe childbirth, routine vaccination, dialysis, insulin, mental health care. As violence escalates and displacement grows, these needs do not diminish — they multiply.

Every clinic kept open, every vaccine delivered, every patient treated affirms the equal value of every human life

Dr. Hanan Balkhy

The WHO’s emergency health teams are building up supplies and scaling up support for communities affected by renewed hostilities, while continuing to serve those in the line of fire or recovering from recent crises. But funding for our emergency operations is at an all-time low.

Last year, only 55 percent of the needs outlined in the WHO’s emergency appeals for the Eastern Mediterranean were met. This year, the shortfall stands at 70 percent. Without an urgent injection of support, suffering will deepen — and more essential health services will close.

At a time when so many are taking up arms, we — as public health advocates — must take up the fight for health. We must defend disease surveillance, keep clinics functioning and ensure uninterrupted treatment. We must protect the most vulnerable.

This conviction is deeply rooted in our faith. The Holy Qur’an (Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:32) teaches: “Whoever saves one life, it is as if he has saved all of mankind.”

Public health is the daily expression of that principle. Every clinic kept open, every vaccine delivered, every patient treated affirms the equal value of every human life.

This Ramadan, that is the work before us: ensuring sustained support for health services, protecting health workers and facilities, securing safe access for those delivering care, and investing in systems resilient enough to withstand crises.

In a season devoted to compassion and shared responsibility, there can be no clearer expression of solidarity than protecting life itself.

• Dr. Hanan Balkhy is the World Health Organization’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.