3 September 2026, Cairo, Egypt – As health systems become increasingly dependent on digital technologies, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean is calling for stronger cybersecurity measures to protect patients, health services and critical health infrastructure from cyber threats.
A regional webinar on “Cybersecurity in Health Care: Strengthening Health Security through Regional Partnerships”, organized by the Regional Office, in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), highlighted that cybersecurity is no longer solely an information technology concern. Cyberattacks can disrupt electronic health records, laboratory and diagnostic systems, emergency services and connected medical devices, potentially delaying care and putting patient safety at risk.
The event brought together 346 participants from around the world, including representatives from ministries of health, government institutions, health care facilities, emergency services and the cybersecurity and information technology sectors.
Health system exposure to cyber threats
As electronic health records, telemedicine, cloud platforms, artificial intelligence, digital surveillance and connected medical devices become ever more integral to health services, digital transformation is changing how health care is delivered.
Greater digital dependence creates new vulnerabilities. Cyberattacks, including ransomware, can disrupt essential services, compromise sensitive health information and affect continuity of care.
The webinar highlighted that cyber incidents should be treated as health emergencies that require coordinated preparedness and response, rather than isolated IT problems.
Experts from the Regional Office’s Health Security and Preparedness, Information Technology and Information Systems and Digital Health units presented emerging approaches to strengthening cybersecurity preparedness in the health sector, including tools to assess readiness, identify vulnerabilities and support rapid response to cyber incidents.
Participants also discussed practical measures to maintain essential services during disruptions, including tested downtime procedures, secure paper based contingency arrangements, incident response plans and regular simulation exercises.
Building resilience through partnerships
The event underscored that no sector can address health care cybersecurity alone. Health authorities need to work closely with national cybersecurity agencies, telecommunications regulators, law enforcement, emergency response teams, technology providers and other partners.
ITU highlighted the importance of strengthening national cybersecurity capacity across legal, technical, organizational, capacity-building and cooperation areas. UNODC underlined the growing sophistication of cybercrime and ransomware and the need for stronger collaboration between health, cybersecurity and law enforcement authorities.
From awareness to action
The webinar identified opportunities to strengthen regional cooperation through joint training, training-of-trainers programmes and realistic cyber simulation exercises.
Participants highlighted the importance of integrating cybersecurity into national digital health strategies, health emergency preparedness plans and investments in digital infrastructure from the outset.
Future exercises are expected to test how health facilities respond to scenarios such as ransomware attacks, including maintaining essential patient care, recovering data, preserving digital evidence and communicating with health workers and the public.
The webinar concluded with a call for countries to move from awareness to practical preparedness by assessing their cybersecurity maturity, strengthening incident response and reporting mechanisms, conducting regular exercises and sharing information on emerging threats and lessons learned.
You can watch the webinar recording via the link below:
Watch the webinar recording
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