Libyan Health Ministry confirms deal to import Iraqi cancer treatment

Shafaq News/ Libya has contracted a local company to import an Iraqi-manufactured cancer drug, the Health Ministry announced on Tuesday, following earlier denials by the National Anti-Cancer Authority.

The ministry noted the Iraqi drug falls outside Libya’s standard pharmaceutical list, but described securing it as a moral obligation due to national shortages. It added that efforts to expedite imports faced delays and stressed that the Drug and Food Control Authority would assess the quality of all shipments, noting that the Iraqi manufacturer is legally registered and each batch will undergo strict testing before distribution.

The ministry’s pharmacy department also expressed readiness to register any company wishing to supply medicines to Libya, provided that it adheres to approved standards and regulations.

Despite the Health Ministry’s announcement, Hayder Al-Sayah, head of the National Anti-Cancer Authority, denied importing any drugs from Iraq or any Arab or Asian countries, insisting that Libya sources its medications only from major companies in the United States and Europe.

The announcement comes after Iraq’s embassy in Tripoli and the Iraqi Ministry of Health revealed the first locally produced shipment of cancer drugs had been exported to Libya.