The World Health Organization (WHO) office in Kuwait organized a roundtable meeting with Dr. Hanan Balkhy, the Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, and key civil society organizations in the country to foster greater collaboration in addressing health challenges, particularly in times of crisis.
The meeting, held at UN House, brought together leaders from various civil society, health advocacy groups, and humanitarian organizations to discuss the vital role non-governmental actors play in ensuring access to health services during emergencies. Dr. Balkhy highlighted the critical importance of these organizations, emphasizing their role in bridging gaps and delivering healthcare to vulnerable populations. She stated, “In humanitarian contexts, civil society plays a critical role in bridging gaps and ensuring that health services reach the most vulnerable populations. Civil society in Kuwait plays a remarkable role in supporting the health, development, and humanitarian agenda. WHO is committed to working with civil society to address pressing needs effectively.”
Discussions during the roundtable covered various topics, including improving access to healthcare for displaced populations, strengthening health systems to respond more efficiently in emergencies, building capacity within civil society organizations to tackle public health challenges, and fostering partnerships among WHO, civil society, and governments for coordinated health interventions.
Dr. Assad Hafeez, the WHO Representative in Kuwait, emphasized the crucial contributions of civil society organizations: “Civil society organizations bring important community context and are essential to rapid humanitarian responses. Together with WHO and the government, they can amplify the impact of health interventions.”
The meeting concluded with a set of recommendations aimed at enhancing collaboration between WHO and civil society, including the creation of regular communication platforms, joint capacity-building initiatives, and the development of a regional framework for health response in humanitarian settings.
The event underscored WHO’s commitment to leveraging partnerships to promote universal health coverage and strengthen health resilience, especially in crisis-affected areas.
