2023-07-17 13:45:33
Today, the Italian Ambassador to Lebanon, Nicoletta Bombardieri, visited the Central Drug Depot in Karantina of the Ministry of Public Health, accompanied by the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Firas Abyad, and in the presence of the representative of the World Health Organization, Dr. Abdel Nasser Abu Bakr. This visit comes within the framework of the Italian government’s continued contribution to support access to health care and treatment medicines for cancer patients in fragile societies.
This visit, which coincides with the arrival of part of the funded medicines to the central drug warehouse of the Ministry of Public Health in Karantina, is an opportunity to introduce the approved drug distribution system. It started with a guided tour of the warehouse, which included storage areas, temperature control mechanisms, and inventory. During which the warehouse manager, Dr. Maha Naous, gave a brief overview of the center, followed by a technical presentation by the National e-Health Program Director, Lina Abu Murad, regarding the tracking system. Meditrack – tracking of the Ministry of Public Health. The visit concluded with short speeches by the Italian Ambassador, the Minister of Public Health and the representative of the World Health Organization regarding the project and its objectives.
The Italian support falls within the urgent need to respond to the shortage of essential medicines to treat patients in fragile communities in Lebanon, in order to reduce preventable deaths and diseases.
It is also indicated that the contribution of the Italian government for the purchase of oncological drugs, which has been confirmed through the bilateral emergency fund of the World Health Organization (WHO), amounted to 1.250.000 million two hundred and fifty thousand euros in the past two years.
For her part, Ambassador Bombardiere reaffirmed Italy’s support for Lebanon in this difficult period and said: “Italy will remain committed to supporting the efforts of the Ministry of Public Health in improving the public health system and improving access to health care, including essential medicines to save patients’ lives.” She added, “We will continue to work.” closely with Lebanese institutions and international organizations to respond to the urgent needs of citizens.
In his turn, the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Firas Abiad, emphasized the effective use of the donor’s funds, stating: “The Italian government’s support to Lebanon has fundamentally contributed to strengthening the role and basic function of the health sector and to adopting innovative approaches, including digital transformation projects. The implementation has also shaped MediTrack is a reform initiative to promote equitable access to medicines and the cost-effective use of resources.
Meanwhile, Dr. Abdel Nasser Abu Bakr, WHO Representative, expressed his appreciation for the generous support provided by the Italian government and the solid cooperation with the Italian Embassy and the Italian Agency for Development and Cooperation (AICS) in Lebanon. In his speech, he stressed the importance of bridging gaps during humanitarian crises, in addition to pre-planning to build bridges and accelerate the recovery process for the health system. Monitoring and tracking system in pharmacies.
Dr. Abu Bakr added, “The generous support provided by the Italian government will enable the Ministry of Public Health and the World Health Organization to save more children and adults with cancer.”
Finally, the WHO representative thanked the Minister of Public Health and Ambassador Bombardiere for their support and cooperation, stressing that “WHO will continue to work with all partners to enhance and enable access to essential health services under the umbrella of universal health coverage and system building.”
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