The MENA region does not appear on the priority maps of major global health organizations—and that is precisely why ignoring it is dangerous. Funding available for the regional response covers only about 29% of the needs identified for 2030, even as health challenges in the area are multiplying: HIV, sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, and hepatitis, alongside emerging risks linked to climate change and environmental health.
HIV is a prime example of this invisibility: the region has the lowest prevalence in the world, yet it is one of the few places where new infections continue to rise—up 94% since 2010—and fewer than one in two people have access to antiretroviral treatment, compared to more than three in four elsewhere globally. A similar pattern is evident, to varying degrees, across other health fronts in the region.
To bridge this gap, ITPC-MENA operates across 14 countries in North Africa and the Middle East, employing a « One Health » approach that links human, animal, and environmental health—a strategy particularly relevant in a region among the most vulnerable globally to water stress and climate change. Our role is to make data visible, connect local stakeholders with international bodies, and amplify the voices of the most vulnerable populations.