Hanan Balkhy

Regional Director

Dr Hanan Balkhy of Saudi Arabia was appointed World Health Organization Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean by the WHO Executive Board in January 2024, taking office on 1 February 2024 as the first woman to hold the position. She previously served as the first Executive Director for Infection Prevention and Control at the Ministry of National Guard in Saudi Arabia, led the Gulf Cooperation Council Centre for Infection Control and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Infection Prevention, Control and Antimicrobial Resistance in Riyadh for more than a decade, and later became WHO's first Assistant Director-General for Antimicrobial Resistance. As Regional Director she has set five priorities: expanding access to healthcare for hard-to-reach populations, strengthening capacity to respond to climate, pandemic and conflict-related emergencies, reinforcing public health for disease prevention, expanding financing partnerships, and strengthening the regional office and country offices.