In a pivotal humanitarian move, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) have delivered an essential batch of oncology medicines to the Oncology Department at Benghazi Children’s Hospital.
This significant contribution is part of an agreement funded by the NOC, aimed at enhancing treatment services for children with cancer in Libya.
The acting WHO representative in Libya voiced the organisation’s goal with fervour, “Our intention with the NOC is to extend to Libyan children diagnosed with cancer the best opportunity for survival and enable them to live a full and prosperous life.”
In December 2021, WHO initiated a project to bolster paediatric cancer care in Libya. This project, supported by the NOC and its partners, along with the technical expertise from the renowned Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital in Rome, is slated to impact more than 722 children’s lives positively.
These children will now receive the necessary cancer care, thus bringing hope to them and their families.
This initiative, bringing together international organisations, local corporations, and medical experts, signifies an essential step towards fighting childhood cancer in Libya.
The provision of oncology medicines and the investment in strengthened pediatric oncology services, highlight the commitment to bettering children’s health and wellbeing in the region.
Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.
The current stalemate grew out of the failure to hold elections in December 2021, and the refusal of Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba, who is leading the transitional government, to step down.