MAXIMIZING IMPACT The work of WHO in Bahrain Annual report 2024

This annual report provides a snapshot of the key activities and initiatives implemented by the WHO Country Office in Bahrain in 2024. It provides numerous examples of how the country office integrated data-driven delivery approaches, applied ready-to-scale-up innovations, incentivized partnerships and multisectoral collaboration and enhanced community engagement to accelerate progress towards the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the three strategic priorities of WHO’s Thirteenth General Programme of Work: achieving universal health coverage (UHC), addressing health emergencies and promoting healthier populations. 

In 2024, the WHO Country Office undertook various activities to promote a comprehensive and coherent approach to health, focusing on driving public health impact towards health coverage for all. This included improving every aspect of the health system, from ensuring a well-supported health workforce to delivering quality care throughout the life course and generating adequate data for evidence-informed policies and plans. Work on health system strengthening was complemented by sustained efforts to enhance health programmes, including noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), mental health and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). 

Extensive work was also undertaken to boost core health emergency preparedness and response capacities to ensure that the health system is resilient and ready for future health challenges, from severe weather events to outbreaks and pandemics. Efforts in this regard included providing technical support to the Ministry of Health on completing the self-evaluation phase of the joint external evaluation (JEE) of the International Health Regulations (2005) to identify the most urgent needs within the health security system and prioritize opportunities for enhanced preparedness, response and action. 

In addition, much work was done to promote better health and well-being across the life course. Tackling the major risk factors of NCDs, including tobacco use, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity, was a high priority for the country office and received much attention in 2024. The WHO Country Office also made substantial efforts over the previous year to promote health through the Healthy Cities and Health-Promoting Universities initiatives and to implement, strengthen and sustain regular and meaningful community participation to achieve health for all. 

At the same time, the country office worked towards maximizing WHO’s impact on the ground and ensuring effective coordination and synergy in health and health-related work across the country through strengthening engagement with United Nations agencies. This included joint achievements on many fronts, such as launching a new United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), 2025–2029, to tackle the multifaceted challenges of sustainable development in Bahrain and drive coordinated action on social protection, health care, economic growth and environmental stewardship.