WHO Regional Director ’s opening remarks at press briefing, Lebanon

17 September 2021 – I join Dr Tedros in thanking you – the media – as well as all health workers, civil society, donors, UN sister agencies and health partners for the enormous efforts made, particularly over the past two years, to prioritize the well-being of people in Lebanon and ensure the continuity of health care delivery. Over the past two days, Dr Tedros, Dr Shankiti, and myself, together with the other members of our delegation, met with national and international stakeholders to discuss critical issues related to the health system capacity and viability. Our key focus was to build on our ongoing work to serve all people in the country in line with our global vision for equity, quality and timely access to health care.  Unfortunately, we all know that Lebanon is facing a severe and complex crisis that is affecting the health sector and having a devastating impact on people’s well-being.  We also know the country is rapidly and progressively losing its long-standing status as a key medical destination in the Region for highly qualified human health resources, technology, and timely access to quality health care.  The current crisis is not only placing the health of the population at risk, but also threatening regional and global health security. Accordingly, it is not enough to just fill gaps in health needs. It is imperative that we join efforts to address critical structural needs for the health system, and deter any imminent envi...
Source: WHO EMRO News - Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news