Bahrain: WHO and the Royal University for Women sign an MoU to strengthen research into women’s health and well-being
29 April 2025, Riffa, Bahrain – The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Bahrain has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Royal University for Women (RUW) with a focus on health systems, women’s health and well-being and education. The memorandum reinforces WHO’s collaboration with academic institutions in Bahrain which is anchored in WHO’s mission to promote, provide and protect health and well-being for all, and the Organization’s Fourteenth General Programme of Work 2025–2028 (GPW 14) which focuses on advancing health equity and building health system resilience.
Strategic Partnership for Health Equity
The MoU recognizes that academic institutions are critical stakeholders in building and using evidence to inform decision-making in health. According to Acting WHO Representative in Bahrain Dr Assad Hafeez, “today we are taking the partnership between WHO and RUW to a new level, with this Memorandum of Understanding… The memorandum is not just a piece of paper, it commits us to a close partnership to strengthen health research, collaborate on priority focus areas, and integrate innovation and technology in health research in Bahrain”.
Furthermore, the MoU will promote health research, information and knowledge sharing, and build capacities towards WHO’s Health for All agenda. RUW President Professor Riyad Hamzah stated: “This MoU with WHO reflects our shared vision for a healthier society. It paves the way for impactful research through collaboration with the RUW Women’s Research Centre and innovative programmes that place women at the centre of public health discussions in the Region.”
WHO Collaborating Centres in Bahrain
In addition to signing MoUs with educational institutions, WHO has access to more than 800 collaborating centres in over 90 Member States, working in areas such as health-system research and development, health promotion and education, health information, statistics and measurement, policy research and development, and mental health. WHO collaborating centres, which include research institutes and parts of universities or academies, are designated by the Director-General to carry out activities in support of WHO programmes. Bahrain has 2 WHO collaborating centres:
- In 1990, the University of Bahrain’s WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing Development was designated as the first WHO Collaborating Centre in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.
- The Arabian Gulf University’s WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Professionals' Educational Development was designated in 2019.