The Italian Ambassador to Lebanon, Nicoletta Bombardieri, confirmed today, during her visit to the central drug warehouse in Karantina run by the Ministry of Public Health, alongside Minister of Public Health, Firas Abyad, and in the presence of World Health Organization representative Abd al-Nasser Abu Bakr, the support for the health sector in Lebanon, particularly for cancer patients. This visit coincides with the arrival of a portion of funded medications to the central drug warehouse under the Ministry of Public Health in Karantina, and it serves as an opportunity to showcase the established drug distribution system. It began with a guided tour of the warehouse, including storage areas, temperature control mechanisms, and inventory. During the visit, warehouse director Dr. Maha Naous provided a brief overview of the center, followed by a technical presentation from the director of the National Electronic Health Program, Lina Abu Murad, about the tracking and tracing system of the Ministry of Public Health (Meditrack).
Italian support falls within the urgent need to respond to the shortage of essential medications to treat patients in vulnerable communities in Lebanon, with the aim of reducing preventable deaths and diseases. It is noteworthy that the contribution of the Italian government for the purchase of cancer medications, which was confirmed through the World Health Organization's (WHO) emergency fund, amounted to 1,250,000 thousand two hundred fifty thousand euros over the past two years. For her part, Ambassador Bombardieri reiterated Italy's support for Lebanon during this difficult period. Minister of Public Health Firas Abyad emphasized the effective utilization of donor funds, stating: "Implementing the MediTrack program has been a reform initiative to enhance equitable access to medications and the effective use of resources in cost terms." World Health Organization representative Abu Bakr expressed appreciation for the generous support provided by the Italian government and the strong cooperation with the Italian embassy and the Italian Agency for Development and Cooperation (AICS) in Lebanon. He confirmed that the generous support from the Italian government will enable the Ministry of Public Health and the World Health Organization to save more children and adults suffering from cancer.
