Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam received, in the government palace, the representative of the World Health Organization in Lebanon, Dr. Abdel Nasser Abu Bakr, on a farewell visit on the occasion of the end of his duties, in the presence of the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Rakan Nasser Al-Din.
The meeting came within the framework of honoring Abu Bakr after about 4 years he spent at the head of the World Health Organization office in Lebanon, during which the country witnessed successive health, livelihood and security crises, including the spread of epidemics, and the repercussions of the collapse on the health sector, leading to the stage of war and the accompanying emergency challenges at the level of hospitals and medical and ambulance teams.
Following the meeting, Minister of Health Rakan Nasser Al-Din announced that the visit was an occasion to honor Dr. Abu Bakr, the representative of the World Health Organization in Lebanon, after the end of his duties, praising “4 years of success in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and full support and coordination.”
Nasser Al-Din added that the World Health Organization has always been supportive of Lebanon in health crises, dealing with epidemics, and during the war period, as well as in international resolutions, including the resolution issued by the organization last week related to the protection of medical and ambulance crews.
He pointed out that coordination between the Ministry of Health and the organization continues on several files, including the central laboratory and existing administrative reforms within the ministry, stressing that cooperation will continue with the new representative of the organization in Lebanon, Dr. Zaytoun.
For his part, the representative of the World Health Organization, Dr. Abdel Nasser Abu Bakr, expressed his appreciation for the meeting with the Prime Minister in the presence of the Minister of Health, considering it a “great opportunity” to thank the Lebanese state for the cooperation and partnership established during his tenure.
Abu Bakr said that he spent about 4 years in Lebanon at the head of the World Health Organization, noting that this stage contributed, through cooperation with the government and the Ministry of Health, to improving the health sector in the country.
He pointed out that the organization’s work in Lebanon during the past years coincided with a number of wars, emergencies and difficulties, expressing his gratitude to the Lebanese government and the Minister of Health, because they gave him the opportunity to serve the people of Lebanon, and he concluded by saying: “Thank you to all of them.”
This visit has a dimension that goes beyond the protocol character, as it comes at a stage in which the Lebanese health sector is facing severe challenges, as a result of the accumulation of financial and administrative crises, the pressure of displacement, and the decline in the ability of hospitals and health institutions to meet the increasing needs, in addition to the burdens imposed by the Israeli attacks on the Lebanese regions and the resulting injuries and the continuing need for support for medical and ambulance teams.
The reference to the international resolution related to the protection of medical and emergency personnel reflects the importance of the role played by the World Health Organization in keeping pace with Lebanon in terms of health and humanity, especially in light of the pressing security conditions, as health institutions become a basic line of defense in the face of the repercussions of war and crises, while the partnership between the Ministry of Health and the organization remains one of the basic factors to ensure continued technical, logistical and reform support for the health sector.
