Mohammad Al Safadi

Senior Health Officer- World Health Organization HQ

MD, MPH, MBA - Harvard University

[Jamal Ahmed Guudle @jGuudle]

Did you know that at #WHA79...

64 countries took the floor
ALL spoke on polio
All were united in their message
All said we must @EndPolioNow

In a 🌍 world marked by conflict, mistrust and geopolitical division, this was an example of humanity with one clear voice.

Countries from every region, every income level and across today's geopolitical divides came back to the same simple commitment. In the year 2026, no child anywhere should be paralysed by polio.

That is the power of polio eradication. It is a purpose that brings people together. From Sabin in the USSR to Sabin Sundays.

It has brought people together...

and it continues to bring countries together around a clear, measurable, moral goal...

✅ reach every child
✅ sustain surveillance and laboratories
✅ respond rapidly to outbreaks
✅ protect mobile populations, refugees, reach every zero-dose child and access all including those in conflict-affected areas
✅ strengthen cross-border coordination
✅ systematically integrate polio assets into routine immunization, PHC and resilient health systems
✅ sustain financing until the job is done

WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Region, the last region with endemic wild polio, was strongly represented with Libya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Tunisia, Iran, Sudan, Morocco, Pakistan, Egypt, Qatar and UAE all taking the floor and highlighting their unwavering support for the push to end polio.

Partners reinforced the same message.

In global health, fragmentation is easy.

But polio eradication reminds us that when the goal is clear, the purpose is shared, and the child is placed at the centre, unity is possible.

The final mile is hard for a reason. But the world is still capable of walking that last mile together.

@Rotary @KSRelief_EN @mbz_foundation @WHO_Polio @UNICEFpolio

[Mohammad Al Safadi @mhdalsafadi]

Check out my latest article: Stop Managing Health Systems Like Construction Projects
https://t.co/w66UBjw0qQ via @LinkedIn

[Mohammad Al Safadi @mhdalsafadi]

From Damascus to Ottawa, polio eradication shows how connected our world truly is.

Honoured to attend Iftar alongside HE Gregory Galligan.

Proud to have contributed to closing polio outbreaks in Syria (2017) and later in Canada.

One virus. One commitment: protect every child.

[HananBalkhyحنان بلخي @HananBalkhy]

This #WorldPolioDay, I have a simple message: we’ve come too far to turn back now.

Thanks to years of partnership and persistence, millions of children are protected from polio. But the job isn’t done.

This is not the time to quit — it’s time to recommit.

Investing in #polio eradication means investing in a healthier, safer future for every child. Together, we can finish the job and make polio history.

#EndPolio l #UnitedtoEndPolio l @WHO

[HananBalkhyحنان بلخي @HananBalkhy]

سُرِرتُ بلقاء معالي الدكتور مصعب العلي، وزير الصحة السوري، على هامش الدورة الثامنة والسبعين لجمعية الصحة العالمية #WHA78. وكان اللقاءُ فرصةً لمناقشة سُبُل التعاون بين الوزارة والمكتب الإقليمي لمنظمة الصحة العالمية لشرق المتوسط على المستويين القُطري والإقليمي. ويُسعدنا دعم تعزيز النظام الصحي والاستجابة لحالات الطوارئ في سوريا في إطار الاستراتيجية الوطنية للصحة.

#شركاء_من_أجل_الصحة

[Mohammad Al Safadi @mhdalsafadi]

Among the many meaningful moments at the 78th WHA, reconnecting with Prof. @RifatAtun was a highlight. From learning under his guidance at @HarvardChanSPH, collaborating on health systems research, his influence continues to shape my journey in global health. #WHA78

[Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus @DrTedros]

#Syria's health system needs rehabilitation, and Syrians deserve full access to health care services. I met today with Health Minister Musab al-Ali and assured him of @WHO's continued commitment and support to advance health of all people in Syria, after years of suffering. #WHA78

[HananBalkhyحنان بلخي @HananBalkhy]

What will it take to restore #Gaza’s battered health system?

In this special issue of the Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, @DrTedros and I join leading public health experts in examining the medical risks and public health implications of the war in Gaza, and the road to recovery.

👉 Read the editorial: https://t.co/KE9U8VQ1WC

👉 Read the #EMHJ Special Issue: https://t.co/hwWaE0xweV

[Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus @DrTedros]

A five-day mass #polio vaccination in #Gaza concluded yesterday, reaching 602 795 children under 10 years of age.

The ceasefire allowed the health workers to reach more children than during previous vaccination rounds in 2024, including the children who may have been missed due to population movement and those who were unreachable due to insecurity.

Ending polio hinges on fully vaccinating every last child and ensuring uninterrupted access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, and proper nutrition.

But the medicine all children in Gaza need is lasting peace. @WHO, @UNICEF and partners continue to call for a lasting ceasefire that leads to long-term health and well-being.

[Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus @DrTedros]

Around 74,000 children under age ten are estimated to have been vaccinated on the second day of the #polio vaccination campaign in #Gaza, bringing the total number so far to over 161,000.

Day three of the campaign is ongoing and the majority of the remaining children in central Gaza should be vaccinated by the end of the day.

Our teams are committed to making sure no child is missed, despite ongoing displacement.

We call on all parties to continue respecting the humanitarian pauses.

We continue to call for lasting peace, so the children in Gaza can have a healthier future.

[HananBalkhyحنان بلخي @HananBalkhy]

تبدأ غدا حملة التطعيم ضد شلل الأطفال في غزة، وفرق التطعيم جاهزة للانطلاق.

نتطلع الى تعاون الجميع لضمان نجاح الحملة و ضمان سلامة الأطفال و الأهالي و القائمين على الحملة.

[Mohammad Al Safadi @mhdalsafadi]

The global health community mourns the loss of our WHO Director Aidan O’Leary, whose dedication to polio eradication inspired us all. #EndPolio

https://t.co/p6wt1ewMXu

[HananBalkhyحنان بلخي @HananBalkhy]

The detection of variant poliovirus type 2 in Gaza’s sewage water is deeply alarming. During my recent visit, I witnessed the immense suffering of children. They absolutely cannot be exposed to further risks. Polio can cause paralysis and death, especially among unvaccinated children.

Before the war, vaccination coverage in Gaza was at 99%. Now, devastated health and sanitation systems, disrupted surveillance, and limited vaccination activities have created the ideal breeding ground for diseases like polio to reappear and spread, more than 25 years after wild poliovirus was eliminated in Gaza.

@WHO, the Ministry of Health, @UNICEF, and partners, are working to conduct field investigations, improve surveillance, and plan appropriate vaccination campaigns as needed. I urge all stakeholders and parties to this conflict to ensure a safe and enabling environment for our response, and expedite a long overdue ceasefire.

[HananBalkhyحنان بلخي @HananBalkhy]

Continuous bombings in #Gaza, even in supposed safe areas, highlight the critical need for protection and peace. Even in the midst of conflict, preserving health and the value of human life is imperative. An immediate ceasefire must be negotiated to end the cycle of violence and suffering.

[UNICEF Moçambique @UNICEF_Moz]

🎉 #Mozambique & Malawi have successfully closed the wild polio type 1 outbreak! 🙌 Thanks to tireless efforts from health authorities, workers, communities, alongside @WHO, @gatesfoundation, @UNICEFPOLIO, @Rotary @EndPolioNow, @CDCGov & @gavi, millions of children are now safe.

[Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD DSc(hon) @PeterHotez]

At ⁦⁦@Stanford⁩ ⁦today I explained the miracle of global childhood immunizations (using ⁦@IHME_UW⁩ data) on saving hundreds of thousands of lives over the last two decades + the contributions of ⁦@UNICEF⁩ ⁦@WHO⁩ ⁦@gavi⁩ ⁦@gatesfoundation⁩

[Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance @gavi]

Today we launched a vaccination drive aiming to reach up to 100 million children with #measles and #rubella vaccines in over 20 countries – the largest ever push in Africa - and help slow down spiking #measles cases globally: https://t.co/BIG1wwD8XK

[Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus @DrTedros]

Grim findings during @WHO visits to Al-Awda and Kamal Adwan hospitals in northern #Gaza: severe levels of malnutrition, children dying of starvation, serious shortages of fuel, food and medical supplies, hospital buildings destroyed.

The visits over the weekend were the first since early October 2023 despite our efforts to gain more regular access to the north of Gaza.

The situation at Al-Awda Hospital is particularly appalling, as one of the buildings is destroyed.

Kamal Adwan Hospital is the only paediatrics hospital in the north of Gaza, and is overwhelmed with patients. The lack of food resulted in the deaths of 10 children. The lack of electricity poses a serious threat to patient care, especially in critical areas like the intensive care unit and the neonatal unit.

We managed to deliver 9,500 litres of fuel to each hospital, and some essential medical supplies. This is a fraction of the urgent lifesaving needs.

We appeal to Israel to ensure humanitarian aid can be delivered safely, and regularly. Civilians, especially children, and health staff need scaled-up help immediately. But the key medicine all these patients need is peace. Ceasefire.

[Tom Fletcher @UNReliefChief]

The scenario we have long dreaded is unraveling at alarming speed.

Today, I’m sounding the alarm once again: Military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza. They could also leave an already fragile humanitarian operation at death’s door.

https://t.co/oXpMNkVx75

[Philippe Lazzarini @UNLazzarini]

UNRWA lifesaving assistance is about to end following countries decisions to cut their funding to the Agency.

Our humanitarian operation, on which 2 million people depend as a lifeline in Gaza, is collapsing. I am shocked such decisions are taken based on alleged behavior of a few individuals and as the war continues, needs are deepening & famine looms.

Palestinians in Gaza did not need this additional collective punishment. This stains all of us.

Read my statement:
https://t.co/fDkLnTUoyk