Building resilient communities for better health and well-being

29 September 2025 - In October 2021, the 68th session of the WHO Regional Committee endorsed a resolution on "Building Resilient Communities for Better Health and Well-being in the Eastern Mediterranean Region ". The resolution lays out a roadmap for taking necessary action and establish governance space and platforms for engaging communities and civil society, making them active partners in health and well-being. The road map entails evidence-based strategic directions and actions on community and civil society engagement.

The latest progress report on the roadmap implementation highlights several key developments, from engaging community and civil society representatives and mapping community assets to localizing community engagement approaches, enhancing collaboration and communication and implementing the WHO Healthy Cities Programme.

Technical support has been instrumental in establishing community health committees in several countries in the Region. The established community health committees in Morocco, Oman, Pakistan and Tunisia are giving people a stronger voice in assessing needs and shaping health services. These committees help communities share ideas and influence decisions, so they meet real needs. Morocco and Tunisia in particular have shown meaningful engagement can lead to better health outcomes.

The WHO Healthy Cities Programme facilitates multisectoral coordination to improve health and well-being at the city level. Local leaders engage residents in assessing needs and planning for healthier futures. A new online platform, the Regional Healthy Cities Network website, is now live, making it easier for communities to share stories, lessons and successes. By facilitating community engagement, conducting needs assessments and orchestrating planning efforts, localities across the Eastern Mediterranean - including in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates - are advancing the Programme.

A regional mapping project is underway to identify active civil society and nongovernmental organizations. This helps countries understand which organizations are making a difference and how to support them. This foundational work in countries like Pakistan is helped in understand in who is where and what they can contribute, ensuring we don't miss any critical partners.

Efforts are also being made to open communication channels, countries help ensure service users' feedback is heard and used to shape better health services, enhancing mutual trust for linking communities with health systems and building trust.

The inclusion of community representatives in the membership of multisectoral committees allows them to have direct input in decisions that affect their neighborhoods and institutions. District-level health committees in Morocco, Oman, Pakistan and Tunisia are significantly strengthening local leadership and action.

The latest progress report on building resilient communities for health and well-being in the Eastern Mediterranean is among the documents submitted for RC72 participants to discuss and review.

WHO and its partners are committed to supporting people across the Eastern Mediterranean as they shape a healthier, more resilient future by empowering and including communities.