The Minister of Public Health in the caretaker government, Firas Al-Abyad, stressed “the necessity of stopping the hostilities in Gaza and neutralizing health workers, health institutions and ambulances, to make room for carrying out the humanitarian duty in these extremely severe circumstances.”
Minister Al-Abyad’s words came during his participation in the seventieth session of the World Health Organization’s Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, where he handed over the presidency of the session in his capacity as Vice-President of the sixty-ninth session, on behalf of the Palestinian Minister of Health, who was unable to participate in person due to the deteriorating conditions in Gaza.
The session included Dr. Al-Abyad’s participation in the election of Dr. Hanan Balkhi as Director of the Mediterranean Region at the World Health Organization, succeeding Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari.
He said: “We, at the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO), are called to strengthen cooperation and coordinate efforts. Our common goal must be to create a more equitable and resilient regional healthcare system. By adopting collective responsibility and united action, we can mitigate disparities, and strengthen our preparedness to confront Imminent health challenges.
The White Minister’s presidency of the session constituted an occasion to hold a series of meetings, most notably with the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Ghebreyesus, and a number of his counterparts, Arab health ministers, as well as with senior officials in the World Organization. The discussion dealt with the new reality in the region, and the White Minister raised the need to support health systems and keep them fully prepared in anticipation of further deterioration of the situation and the development of things for the worse.
In this regard, Minister Al-Abyad informed World Health Organization officials of immediate aid of medicines and supplies that will arrive in Lebanon within two days, which will help support the health sector in Lebanon and raise its readiness in anticipation of any emergency.
2023-10-11 09:18:02
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