The Ambassador of Italy to Lebanon, Nicoletta Bombardiere, together with the Lebanese Minister of Public Health Firass Abiad and WHO Representative Abdinasir Abubakar, visited the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health’s Central Drug Warehouse.
The visit was part of the Italian Government’s contribution to support access to and availability of life-saving cancer treatment for the vulnerable population in Lebanon and coincided with the arrival of part of the medications procured with Italian funding.
Ambassador Bombardiere reaffirmed Italy’s support to Lebanon, saying that “Italy remains committed to assisting the efforts of the Ministry of Public Health in improving the public health system and ensuring better access to medical care, including life-saving medications. We will continue to work closely with Lebanese institutions and international organisations to meet the urgent needs of the population”.
The ongoing political and economic crises in Lebanon have had a devastating impact on children and adults with cancer, especially in terms of access to life-saving medication. The Italian Government’s contribution to procuring oncology medication through the World Health Organisation’s Bilateral Emergency Fund has amounted to EUR 1,250,000 over the past two years, benefitting over 300 children and 1,000 adult patients.
