From a Personal Struggle to National Advocacy: The Story of the Barbara Nassar Association for Cancer Support
Through the Barbara Nassar Association for Cancer Support in Lebanon, a member of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), Hani Nassar has shown how involving people affected by cancer in advocacy and decision-making can shape national cancer strategies, improve access to treatment, and strengthen support systems.
Barbara’s Diagnosis and the Birth of an Idea
In 2009, Barbara Nassar fractured her neck and was unexpectedly diagnosed with breast cancer with bone metastasis. Doctors gave her only a year to live, yet she continued treatment, undergoing multiple surgeries and over 100 chemotherapy sessions. During this time, she and her husband, Hani, confronted a health system that offered little support to adults with cancer. Unlike the assistance available for children and their families, adults often faced the disease without guidance, psychological care, or financial help.
Hani Nassar said:
“At that time, we discovered that a lot of people in Lebanon were dying because they had to stop their treatment – not because the treatment failed, but because it was unaffordable. When I asked Barbara’s doctor what I should do if I couldn’t afford the medication he was prescribing, he told me: ‘If you have money, you treat her. If not, you stop – like the others.’”
The couple discovered that many patients in Lebanon were forced to abandon treatment because of its unaffordability. Determined to raise awareness, they embarked on an 80-day caravan journey across Lebanon while Barbara was still in treatment. They visited 1,655 villages, encouraging patients to live fully, speak openly about their experiences, and call attention to systemic gaps. The journey culminated with a meeting with the President of Lebanon, who signed their flag – a symbolic moment of recognition for people living with cancer.
“It was a powerful moment. People often see someone with cancer as someone waiting to die. But here was Barbara, five years after being told she wouldn’t live more than a year, standing before the president and showing that people with cancer have something to say. We didn’t want charity, we wanted change.”
Founding the Association
Just days before her death in February 2014, Barbara recorded a message urging more support for adults with cancer. Shortly afterward, the Minister of Interior authorised the creation of the Barbara Nassar Association for Cancer Support, founded by Hani to continue her mission. Initially operating from a room in his home, the Association began redistributing unused cancer medications to patients who could not afford treatment. Over time, this initiative became a critical lifeline, especially as Lebanon faced financial collapse, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Beirut port explosion in 2020.
Advocacy During Crisis
As medication shortages worsened, the Association expanded into advocacy and public action. It organized awareness campaigns, legal mobilizations, and protests – including a symbolic funeral on World Cancer Day in 2022 to highlight preventable deaths caused by treatment shortages. These efforts attracted national attention and eventually opened the door to policy discussions with the Ministry of Public Health.
In collaboration with the World Health Organization and UICC, the Association contributed recommendations to Lebanon’s first national cancer control plan, launched on World Cancer Day 2023. Among its outcomes was the introduction of Aman, a digital platform that streamlined the distribution of cancer medicines and restored some trust between patients and the health system.
“In Lebanon, when the Ministry of Public Health doesn’t provide medications, you have to pay out of pocket. It’s not sustainable. We have arranged for people who have finished their treatment and have medications left over to bring them to us. We check the expiry dates and redistribute them to people who can’t afford to buy them.”
Expanding the Mission
Beyond medication access, the Association advocated for structural reforms, such as introducing sin taxes on tobacco and alcohol to fund cancer services. It also pushed for the integration of patients’ voices in awareness campaigns and health planning.
“When we first entered the ministry, it felt like a formality. But then they began to listen. They didn’t just take notes, they asked for input. That was new.”
The organisation’s work gained international recognition, with UICC supporting its efforts through the Patient Group Mentoring Programme and Hani presenting at global platforms such as the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit.
The Opening of the Cancer Centre
In 2025, the Association established the Barbara Nassar Cancer Centre for Supportive Care, Lebanon’s first dedicated facility for non-clinical cancer support. The centre provides psychological counselling, nutrition guidance, physiotherapy, legal aid, and wellness activities – all free of charge. It also offers beauty care and group therapy sessions, aiming to restore dignity and quality of life to patients.
“We built what Barbara wished she had when she was diagnosed. A place where people with cancer are treated with dignity, not just as patients but as people with stories, needs, and rights.”
The centre collaborates with universities and medical institutions to expose young doctors and students to holistic cancer care, reinforcing the importance of treating patients as whole individuals rather than only as clinical cases.
A Lasting Legacy
What began as Barbara’s personal story has grown into a national movement. The Association continues to challenge systemic shortcomings, elevate the voices of people with cancer, and promote dignity and rights in cancer care. Despite Lebanon’s ongoing crises, its work stands as proof of how lived experience can reshape healthcare and advocacy.
“This began with Barbara’s story. But now, it is the story of every person with cancer in Lebanon. All of them are raising their voices for the same cause.”
UICC shared a post in honor of Barbara Nassar on LinkedIn:
“The legacy of Barbara Nassar: A couple’s experience with cancer helps shape policies in Lebanon.
The Barbara Nassar Association for Cancer Patient Support, a UICC member, was formally established on World Cancer Day 2014, shortly before Barbara passed away, fulfilling her final wish to help others facing cancer.
After Barbara’s terminal diagnosis in 2009, she and her husband, Hani Nasser, travelled to 1,655 villages across Lebanon in a caravan, collecting signatures to raise awareness about the lack of support for adults with cancer, ending at the presidential palace.
Through the Association, Hani continues to demonstrate how engaging people with a lived experience of cancer can help influence national cancer strategies, improve access to care, and strengthen support systems.”
Under the high patronage of MOPH, Barbara Nassar Cancer Center is organizing “Pinky Promise”, a Breast Cancer Awareness event; Free Tests, Exhibition, Stage, Fun Pink Walk…
When? Saturday, Octobre 18th 2025 / 12pm – 6pm
Where? Mar-Mikhael Intersection – Forum De Beyrouth Parking.
If you are interested contact via:
Whatsapp on +961 3 349 136
Email: [email protected]