Libya's health minister has requested the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare a state of emergency in the North African country, as 60 to 70 per cent of the country's hospitals have closed, due to lack of funds to purchase medicine.
Years of infighting among militias, rebel forces, and opposing governments have devastated the north African nation's capacity to provide healthcare for its people.
We are asking WHO today to raise the emergency level for the health system in Libya
Libya's health ministry announced that hospitals in Libya require about $3 million per day to buy medicine, but at the moment, only very few hospitals have enough medicine to keep up with demand.
On Wednesday, the health minister urged WHO to raise its alert levels for Libya and send maximum medical personnel and supplies to the country.
"We are asking WHO today to raise the emergency level for the health system in Libya to the highest possible level," the country's Health minister Reida El Oakley told reporters in Geneva.
Raising the emergency levels in Libya, Oakley believes, would help mobilise resources for people in need.
Meanwhile, WHO spokesman, Tarik Jasarevic has announced that the global health body has received and would review the Libyan request.
There are currently five countries and regions that WHO has classified as "level-three" health emergencies; Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and the parts of West Africa hit hardest by Ebola.
Libya's health crisis has worsened, as its economy worsens due to growing civil unrest and collapsing oil prices. It could become the sixth classified by WHO as a level-three health emergency.
Read the original article on Theafricareport.com : Libya demands state of emergency status from World Health Organisation | North Africa