Deputy Prime Minister Health Minister Ghassan hasbani participated in the work sessions of the Arab Sustainable Development Week under the patronage of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and in partnership with World Bank, the United Nations Development Group and Egyptian Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation in Cairo. Hasbani was invited to sit at the conference table entitled:  “Health: Accessing Everyone Everywhere” in the presence of a number of Arab Health Ministers and the Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States.

Lebanese Health Minister confirmed that Comprehensive Health coverage aims at guaranteeing individuals and communities’ access to the necessary health services without letting them bear the burden of the financial costs. He added: “In this context, international organizations, World Bank and World Health Organization are currently working to implement pilot initiatives in the comprehensive health coverage in order to draw lessons learned before launching comprehensive implementation frameworks.” 

In this regard, Lebanese Health Minister stressed that every country has its own ways for implementation adapted to local circumstances, which do not pose obstacles to harmonization between states in a way to provide Arab citizen with health security wherever they might be in the Arab world.

Hasbani confirmed that Comprehensive Health coverage plays a crucial role in the achievement of sustainable development and the reduction of poverty, and is considered as a major component of the efforts aimed at the reduction of inequities in the society in a bid to achieve integrated social health justice. He stressed that development is made of social, political and health conditions in which individuals are living and works to develop these conditions in conjunction with economic development.

Finally, Health Minister called to start working together on the implementation of solid foundations in the Comprehensive Health coverage by fostering the frameworks of the Primary Health Care, making it a gateway to the general health system. In doing so, we are contributing to strengthening health security to citizen, which reflects positively on health indicators in the Arab World, so we can take an effective step towards the achievement of Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable development.

It is worth to note that the forum included an intervention from Lebanon made by the Head of Primary Health Care Department Dr. Randa Hamadeh on the country’s successful experience in the field of Primary Health Care and the steps taken towards Comprehensive Health coverage.