
LEBANON – Minister of Public Health Rakan Nassereddine visited the Children’s Cancer Center, where he met with the center’s management and families of children undergoing treatment.
He also attended a meeting with Mrs. Nora Jumblatt, Minister of Labor Mohammad Haidar, French Ambassador to Lebanon Hervé Magro, and Beirut Governor Judge Marwan Abboud.
The Minister praised the center’s ongoing role in supporting children with cancer and thanked its staff for their dedication to treating all patients, whether Lebanese or resident.
He explained that upon taking office, the Ministry expanded cancer treatment protocols that had been limited due to financial constraints.
This led to an increase in spending on cancer medications from USD 32 million in 2024 to USD 103 million in 2025.
He noted that the expansion resulted in a more than 400% increase in spending and a rise in secured medications from 64,000 boxes in 2024 to 200,000 in 2025.
Despite limited public budgets, he described these figures as a significant achievement, crediting medical committees and transparent tenders for reducing drug prices.
Minister Nassereddine thanked the American University of Beirut, announcing it will provide 30 bone marrow transplants in 2026 following the Ministry’s decision to fully cover such procedures for children.
He concluded by stressing that the Ministry will continue its strategic plan to combat cancer, with three awareness and early screening campaigns planned for 2026 targeting colon, prostate, and breast cancer.







