Lebanese Healthcare System: How Will the Aftermath Look?

Farha, Loulwa; Jaoude, Joseph Abi

doi:10.7759/cureus.10270

Cited by 10 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Against the background of large-scale movements of migrants and refugees that have been experienced by a number of regions of the world in the last decade, the advent of COVID-19 in late 2019 and its rapid development into a pandemic in early 2020, has generally considerably worsened both the general circumstances and specific health challenges faced by these people [ 109 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19: Marking the Gaps in Migrant and Refugee Health in Some Massive Migration Areas

Matlin

Çaman

Brando

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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The health of migrants and refugees, which has long been a cause for concern, has come under greatly increased pressure in the last decade. Against a background where the world has witnessed the largest numbers of migrants in history, the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has stretched the capacities of countries and of aid, health and relief organizations, from global to local levels, to meet the human rights and pressing needs of migrants and refugees for access to health care and to public health measures needed to protect them from the pandemic. The overview in this article of the situation in examples of middle-income countries that have hosted mass migration in recent years has drawn on information from summaries presented in an M8 Alliance Expert Meeting, from peer-reviewed literature and from reports from international agencies concerned with the status and health of migrants and refugees. The multi-factor approach developed here draws on perspectives from structural factors (including rights, governance, policies and practices), health determinants (including economic, environmental, social and political, as well as migration itself as a determinant) and the human security framework (defined as “freedom from want and fear and freedom to live in dignity” and incorporating the interactive dimensions of health, food, environmental, economic, personal, community and political security). These integrate as a multi-component ‘ecological perspective’ to examine the legal status, health rights and access to health care and other services of migrants and refugees, to mark gap areas and to consider the implications for improving health security both for them and for the communities in countries in which they reside or through which they transit.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19: Marking the Gaps in Migrant and Refugee Health in Some Massive Migration Areas

Matlin

Çaman

Brando

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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“…Experts warned of imminent overt famine (28) and aid organisations warned they would start seeing children dying of hunger by the end of the year (27). Facing potential bankruptcy, in the midst of the pandemic many hospitals laid off staff and closed wards; deteriorating conditions also precipitated mass health worker emigration (29). Underresourced and shaped by the impacts of multiple shocks since the civil war, Lebanon's public health system has further been deeply compromised by the current challenges (30).…”

Section: Protests and Economic Collapsementioning

confidence: 99%

A Generation at Risk: The Impacts of Lebanon's Escalating Humanitarian Crisis on Children

Abouzeid

Halwani

Mokdad

et al. 2021

Front. Public Health

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Lebanon is in the midst of a rapidly escalating, unprecedented humanitarian crisis that is plunging the country deep into poverty and threatens population well-being, economic development, social welfare and national and regional stability. The dire situation is due to the compounding effects of the August 2020 Beirut blast, massive economic collapse and the COVID-19 pandemic, in a setting of longstanding entrenched political corruption and a dysfunctional, mismanaged crisis response by the state. This current emergency occurs on the background of a turbulent history and complex regional geopolitical context – including the Syrian refugee crisis, the ongoing influence of foreign actors and their local proxies, the United-States-imposed sanctions, endemic corruption, a culture of nepotism and entitlement among the political dynasties, dysfunctional power-sharing and deep-seated sectarian divides. With over half the population now living in poverty, a generation of children are among those at risk. This Perspective provides a brief overview of Lebanon's current complex humanitarian crisis, discusses the impacts of the evolving situation on youth and proposes a suite of recommendations to mitigate the effects.

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“…Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic came after a series of shocks that had affected and fragilised the Lebanese healthcare system, a secondary care-oriented health system that was once considered a ‘prominent tertiary medical hub in the Middle East’. 7 The huge increase in demand for health services in Lebanon put considerable strain on the country’s resources and public services that were already underfunded. 6 The multiple crises prompted a dilemma on how to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and maintain a balance between controlling the pandemic and surviving the severe political and economic turmoil that exacerbated in the fall of 2019 after decades of sectarianism-driven dysfunction of governance capacities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The pandemic put an additional burden on Lebanon, which had been under the shock of a socioeconomic crisis, antigovernment protests, and a collapse of the banking sector. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic came after a series of shocks that had affected and fragilised the Lebanese healthcare system, a secondary care-oriented health system that was once considered a ‘prominent tertiary medical hub in the Middle East’ 7. The huge increase in demand for health services in Lebanon put considerable strain on the country’s resources and public services that were already underfunded 6.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating the governance and preparedness of the Lebanese health system for the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

et al. 2022

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ObjectivesThis study aimed to assess the capacities and governance of Lebanon’s health system throughout the response to the COVID-19 pandemic until August 2020.DesignA qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews.SettingLebanon, February–August 2020.ParticipantsSelected participants were directly or indirectly involved in the national or organisational response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon.ResultsA total of 41 participants were included in the study. ‘Hardware’ capacities of the system were found to be responsive yet deeply influenced by the challenging national context. The health workforce showed high levels of resilience, despite the shortage of medical staff and gaps in training at the early stages of the pandemic. The system infrastructure, medical supplies and testing capacities were sufficient, but the reluctance of the private sector in care provision and gaps in reimbursement of COVID-19 care by many health funding schemes were the main concerns. Moreover, the public health surveillance system was overwhelmed a few months after the start of the pandemic. As for the system ‘software’, there were attempts for a participatory governance mechanism, but the actual decision-making process was challenging with limited cooperation and strategic vision, resulting in decreased trust and increased confusion among communities. Moreover, the power imbalance between health actors and other stakeholders affected decision-making dynamics and the uptake of scientific evidence in policy-making.ConclusionsInterventions adopting a centralised and reactive approach were prominent in Lebanon’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Better public governance and different reforms are needed to strengthen the health system preparedness and capacities to face future health security threats.

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Lebanese Healthcare System: How Will the Aftermath Look?

Cited by 10 publications

References 3 publications

COVID-19: Marking the Gaps in Migrant and Refugee Health in Some Massive Migration Areas

COVID-19: Marking the Gaps in Migrant and Refugee Health in Some Massive Migration Areas

A Generation at Risk: The Impacts of Lebanon's Escalating Humanitarian Crisis on Children

Evaluating the governance and preparedness of the Lebanese health system for the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

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