Mosul health director warns cancer drug crisis deepening as imports halt

MOSUL, Iraq — The director of Mosul's health department, Dalshad Ali, said the city is facing a serious health crisis marked by shortages of cancer drugs and other medicines, driven by halted imports and insufficient state funding. Ali told local media that Kemadiya, the company responsible for pharmaceutical supplies, suspended its contracts after border crossings and the airport were closed, stopping most shipments, though it has recently resumed a small portion of deliveries. Ali said the core problem is that ministry allocations for biological and cancer medications have nearly stopped. The latest monthly funding received by the oncology program was only 3 million Iraqi dinars, an amount he said does not cover the cost of a single needle at the oncology hospital or at the Hayyan and Ibn Sina hospitals. The health directorate has requested its full financial entitlements each month without result, according to Ali, leaving hundreds of patients without access to basic treatment. Officials said budget shortages and a lack of equipment at cancer centers have deepened the drug scarcity, forcing patients to buy medicines from the private sector at high prices. Health authorities cited international figures showing that 191 out of every 100,000 people are diagnosed with cancer.