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Health Diplomacy in Libya

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Since July 2020 CPCS has worked with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Libya, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), and the World Health Organization (WHO), to support doctors and health officials to work together across conflict divides to combat COVID-19. The project, which is led by senior Libya medical practitioners, is designed to enable agreements on how to address COVID-19, as an entry point to other critical healthcare issues facing the Libyan people. Its impact should be threefold – to enhance healthcare provision (with an initial focus on COVID-19), to provide momentum towards an integrated health system, and to support national reconciliation.

To date, the project has provided a safe and neutral platform for health officials to meet, and has established a national network of medical practitioners - the 'We Are All Responsible' network. The project has run a range of dialogue sessions, information sessions and best practice case study sessions, that have allowed health practitioners and officials to meet, share analysis and agree on collective measures.

More information on the network can be found here.

For more information on the project, please contact Kyle Jensen.

Activities (January 2021)

Radio and TV interviews:

Dr. Idris Elkaied and Prof. Reida El Oakley TV Interview with Al-Hadath TV, 9th January.

Dr. Idris Elkaied TV Interview with Wtv, 11th January.

Dr. Idris Elkaied 2nd TV Interview with Wtv, 15th January.

Dr. Idris Elkaied TV Interview with the Libya Channel, 27th January. Link here.

Dr. Idris Elkaied 2nd TV Interview with Al Hadath Channel East, 30th January. Link here.

The Homemade Mask Contest, 11th January: Sponsored by the Merseen Electronic Company and including the entries of around 1400 participants, Dr. Idris Elkaied organized a contest to identify the best homemade masks from those that were entered into the contest. The purpose of the contest was to educate the public on how to make masks at home. Each contender needed to make at least 20 masks with 5 masks to be handed to the organiser. The contest lasted 6 months and ended on 31st December 2020. 10 participants won one of the 10 prizes offered by the Merseen Electronic company. It was a very successful and welcomed activity that advocated for the importance of putting masks on as a measure of protection in addition to and making masks at home from ordinary cloths. The event of presenting the prizes was televised. Of great importance was the participants' demonstration that they could construct proper masks on their own.