WHO provides anti-tuberculosis medicines to Libya’s capital

World Health Organization (WHO) delivered anti-tuberculosis medicines to Tripoli.

A total of 12 types of the provided medicines will enable treatment of adult and child cases of TB, including multi-drug resistant TB, WHO said.

The WHO supplies, dispatched in response to critical humanitarian needs, were handed to the National Center of Disease Control (NCDC), and will be further distributed to public health facilities providing treatment to TB patients across the country.

The World Health Organization’s shipment is to help alleviate the acute lack of essential medicines and medical supplies that Libya’s public health system has been suffering. Since 2016 there has been also a severe shortage of TB medicines in the country. During 2016-2017 there were more than 1500 new notifications of TB including 80 children. The donated medical supplies are sufficient to cover their treatment for one year.

“It is imperative for WHO to promptly respond to the urgent health needs in Libya. These medical supplies are vitally important to support the centers over the country that are treating TB patients who have suffered severe deprivation over the past year” said Dr. Dr Jaffar Hussain, WHO Representative and Head of Mission in Libya.

The critical supplies were provided through the WHO Health System Strengthening Project (SHAMS) funded by the European Union.