Dr Shible Sahbani formally began his assignment as World Health Organization (WHO) Representative and Head of Mission in Libya following the presentation of his credentials to His Excellency Mr  El-Taher El-Baour, , on 2 September 2026.

During the meeting, Dr Sahbani and H.E. Mr Al-Baour discussed the longstanding cooperation between WHO and Libya and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening their partnership to advance the country’s health priorities.

Dr Sahbani expressed WHO’s continued commitment to supporting Libya in strengthening its health system and advancing progress towards universal health coverage, with a focus on primary health care, health security and emergency preparedness and response. The discussions also highlighted the importance of continued collaboration to strengthen national health capacities and ensure equitable access to quality health services across the country.

“It is an honour to serve as WHO Representative in Libya. I look forward to working closely with the Government of Libya, national health authorities, health partners and communities to build on our longstanding partnership and support the country in advancing its health priorities,” said Dr Sahbani. “WHO remains committed to working alongside Libya towards a stronger, more resilient health system.”

H.E. Mr Al-Baour welcomed Dr Sahbani to Libya and expressed appreciation for WHO’s support to the country’s health sector. He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to continued cooperation with WHO and to further strengthening the partnership in support of Libya’s health priorities.