Caretaker Minister of Public Health, Firass Abiad, headed to Washington today, to participate in the sixth annual “Health Financing Forum” held by the World Bank between June 14 & 16 under the headline of “Financing Primary Health Care.”

Abiad is accompanied by a delegation including Lebanon’s Chargé d’Affairs in Washington, Wael Hashem, and Head of the Primary Health Care Department at the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Randa Hamadeh.

“This conference is taking place while the major countries and international institutions are preoccupied with the events in Ukraine and other global crises and their repercussions on energy and food security in the world,” Abiad said, noting that “the required reforms in Lebanon are proceeding at a slow pace, which hinders calls for more investments and support…but despite that, no effort should be spared to support our health sector.”

Partaking in said health forum will be an occasion to search for new partnership opportunities, with the aim of supporting the efforts of the Ministry of Public Health to enhance and expand primary health care offerings in Lebanon.

Caretaker Minister Abiad’s visit to Washington will also witness an important junction through his participation in a meeting at the invitation of the Chamber of Commerce in Congress, where he will brief representatives of international pharmaceutical companies on latest developments pertaining to importing medicines into Lebanon, corporate debt, and ways to ensure the continuity of supplying Lebanon with medicines, especially those intended for cancer and incurable diseases.

The Caretaker Public Health Minister will also hold side meetings with representatives of the US Agency for International Development, and other international organizations that helped Lebanon in the past years, especially after the explosion of the port, such as Anera, ATFL, MRF.HOME, Empower Lebanon and others. He will meet as well with prominent figures in the health sector of Lebanese origin and members of the Lebanese community who play an active role in supporting Lebanon in various ways, especially in covering as much as possible urgent necessities in terms of medicines, medical supplies and equipment for hospitals.

Source: National News Agency