Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health of Lebanon Mr Ghassan Hasbani and WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Mahmoud Fikri7 April 2017 – WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Mahmoud Fikri today met the President of Lebanon H. E. Michel Aoun at the presidential palace in Lebanon to discuss public health issues in Lebanon and the Region at whole. Also present at the meeting was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Mr Ghassan Hasbani.
H.E President Aoun outlined some of the regional challenges that have been placing an additional burden on the health system in Lebanon. He expressed his appreciation of WHO’s provision of technical support to Lebanon to strengthen public health programmes to improve public health and ultimately attain the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Dr Fikri highlighted the joint efforts of WHO and the Ministry of Public Health in strengthening capacity for the early detection and treatment of noncommunicable diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease, and said that WHO was extending its full support to the health system in Lebanon to address an increase in needs as a result of ongoing conflict in the Region and the subsequent displacement of populations.
Dr Fikri said that WHO technical capacity in the country office had been strengthened in order to better support the Ministry in responding to health emergencies and outbreaks. In response to this need, the early warning alert and response system and immunization programmes had also been strengthened.
The Minister of Public Health Mr Hasbani also commended WHO support to the health system in Lebanon and expressed hope that the health system would be further strengthened through the introduction of new health technologies.
Dr Fikri was in Lebanon to attend the regional World Health Day celebrations that took place at the Grand Serail in Beirut under the patronage of the President of the Council of Ministers H.E. Mr Saad Hariri.
