GENEVA: The World
Health Organization (WHO) yesterday commended Kuwait's donation for cancer
patients in Syria, which gave a silver lining to patients at a time when public
health services were disrupted in Syria. In a statement, the organization
expressed its gratitude to Kuwait for its contribution of $1 million for cancer
care in Syria, which immediately influenced health situations of vulnerable
families in Syria.

Kuwait's
Permanent Representative to the UN and International Organizations Ambassador
Jamal Al-Ghunaim said that Kuwait is proactive in funding programs of WHO to
vaccinate Syrian children against polio, as well as programs in Yemen, Iraq,
Afghanistan and others for health care. Ghunaim said that the upcoming visit of
WHO's Director General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus will open new horizons for
cooperation between Kuwait and international organizations of health care.

WHO assessment of
cancer care services in eight hospitals in various Syrian governorates in 2016
revealed a sharp decrease of equipment, staff and cancer care. With Kuwait's
donation, WHO has obtained cancer medications and supplies distributed to
Syria's main hospitals. "WHO has worked with the oncology units in Syria's
public referral hospitals to develop a list of high-value, specific cancer
medicines," WHO Representative in Syria Elizabeth Hoff said.

"Through
this carefully tailored approach and close collaboration with hospital staff,
WHO has been able to procure enough medicines to cover 40,000 treatment courses
and help fill critical gaps in cancer care," she explained. - KUNA