NNA - Health Minister Dr. Rakan Nassereddine on Thursday called for prioritizing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), especially cancer, during a conference held by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Geneva, on the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly. 

Highlighting that NCDs cause over 74% of global deaths, he stressed the urgent need for partnerships and resource mobilization.

The Health Minister warned that cancer poses a growing threat to Lebanon’s health system, exacerbated by ongoing crises, displacement, and regional instability. Lung, breast, and colon cancers are among the leading causes of death.

Nassereddine went on to underscore the national strategy’s focus on prevention, including tobacco control aligned with the WHO FCTC. He also participated in a roundtable on strengthening WHO’s role in the Eastern Mediterranean and held bilateral talks with health officials from the U.S., Iran, Russia, Sweden, and WHO to enhance Lebanon’s health infrastructure, including mental health and cancer care.

======R.H.