Lebanon is losing its front line

Shallal, Anita; Lahoud, Chloe; Zervos, Marcus; Matar, Madonna

doi:10.7189/jogh.11.03052

Cited by 49 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…1 Coupled with a 6.7% decrease in GDP in 2019 and a loss of US$55 billion in 2018, the economic impacts are catastrophic, especially for healthcare workers (HCW). 1 Besides this, the Lebanese pound has lost 81% value since 2019, 3 marking high inflation all whilst coping with a pandemic, recovering from the Beirut Port explosion, and experiencing social unrest. 4 The Beirut Port explosion, which rendered half of the capital's healthcare centres non‐functional brought new challenges to health care.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 3 Fiscal mismanagement, a weak healthcare system, inflation, higher rates of poverty, social unrest, scarcity of resources, increasing workload and previous traumas have challenged HCWs trying to battle a pandemic in Lebanon, severely affecting their mental health. 3 Since 2019, 1000 of 15,000 doctors have left Lebanon to neighbouring Iraq and other countries, and alone at American University Beirut Medical Centre in Beirut, 40% emergency staff and 50% nurses have left. 5 As a result of this crisis, HCWs are experiencing a deduction in their salary that amounts to a couple thousand dollars a year.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…4 , 5 , 6 In addition, there are only 40 HCWs per 10 ,000 people in Lebanon, reported in 2018 prior to the economic crisis, which contrasts with WHO's requirement of 4.45 HCWs per 1000 people. 3 Mental health needs are poorly addressed as there are only 60 psychiatrists and 100 psychologists per 4 million people, and the country has no national mental health policy. 6 This not only complicates availability of mental health services, it creates issues for a healthcare system that is rapidly losing all its frontline workers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Mental health impacts of Lebanon's economic crisis on healthcare workers amidst COVID‐19

Islam

Gangat

Mohanan

et al. 2021

Health Planning & Management

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Lebanon, identified as a Fragility, Conflict and Violence (FCV) state by the World Bank, is enduring one of the world's worst economic crises since the mid-19th century. 1 Also known as the Lebanese Republic, it is one of the most densely populated countries in the Mediterranean area bound northeast by Syria, and south by Israel. 1,2 In 2020, GDP shrunk by 20.3% amounting to US$33 billion loss, whereas GDP per capita decreased by 40%. 1 Additionally, inflation has averaged to 84.3%. 1 This economic crisis is projected to be worse in 2021 with an expected 9.5% contraction in GDP. 1 Coupled with a 6.7% decrease in GDP in 2019 and a loss of US$55 billion in 2018, the economic impacts are catastrophic, especially for healthcare workers (HCW). 1 Besides this, the Lebanese pound has lost 81% value since 2019, 3 marking high inflation all whilst coping with a pandemic, recovering from the Beirut Port explosion, and experiencing social unrest. 4 The Beirut Port explosion, which rendered half of the capital's healthcare centres non-functional brought new challenges to health care. 4 Not only this, poverty has increased by 27% from 2019 to 2020. 3 Fiscal mismanagement, a weak healthcare system, inflation, higher rates of poverty, social unrest, scarcity of resources, increasing workload and previous traumas have challenged HCWs trying to battle a pandemic in Lebanon, severely affecting their mental health. 3 Since 2019, 1000 of 15,000 doctors have left Lebanon to neighbouring Iraq and other countries, and alone at American University Beirut Medical Centre in Beirut, 40% emergency staff and 50% nurses have left. 5 As a result of this crisis, HCWs are experiencing a deduction in their salary that amounts to a couple thousand dollars a year. 5 A country that primarily relies on import (80% of medications in Lebanon are imported), the crisis has impacted availability of essential healthcare equipment, and has exacerbated workload for HCWs grappling with financial stress, and insecurity further fuelling their anxieties and contributing to burnout. [4][5][6] In addition, there are only 40 HCWs per 10 ,000 people in Lebanon, reported in 2018 prior to the economic crisis, which contrasts with WHO's requirement of 4.45 HCWs per 1000 people. 3 Mental health needs are poorly addressed as there are only 60 psychiatrists and 100 psychologists per 4 million people, and the country has no national mental health policy. 6 This not only complicates availability of mental health services, it creates issues for a healthcare system that is rapidly losing all its frontline workers. 3 Thus, the aim of this paper is to address the mental health crisis faced by HCWs in Lebanon, the implications of it and provide some recommendations. | DISCUSSIONMajority of the Lebanese people including frontline healthcare workers, elderly, juveniles and grownups suffer from alarming levels of anxiety and stress due to occasional periods of violence, specifically bombings in civilian areas, and political and economic instability. 7 Such pre-existing challenges h...

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Mental health impacts of Lebanon's economic crisis on healthcare workers amidst COVID‐19

Islam

Gangat

Mohanan

et al. 2021

Health Planning & Management

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The report highlighted several problems such as the lack of mental health training for primary healthcare workers as well as the poor interactions between primary care and mental health systems; this is crucial for preventing the development of psychiatric disorders ( Budd, Iqbal, Harding, Rees, & Bhutani, 2021 ). The total number of human resources working in the field is 15.27 per 100000 population ( World Health Organization, 2015 ); this number decreased following recent events ( Shallal, Lahoud, Zervos, & Matar, 2021 ). The WHO recommends a bare minimum of 4.45 skilled personnel per 1000 people in order to deliver safe healthcare ( World Health Organization, 2016 ).…”

Section: Mental Health Services In Lebanonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental health in Lebanon: Tomorrow's silent epidemic

Farran

2021

Mental Health & Prevention

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Lebanon is a middle-income country that has been recently crippled by several tragedies including the economic collapse, COVID-19, and the fourth of August Beirut port explosion, the world’s most powerful non-nuclear explosion of the twenty-first century. Recent data on mental health from Lebanon is summarised, and other topics such as the psychological impact of cumulative adversities and the role of international support in Lebanon are examined. Data from Lebanon shows severe levels of distress among the people, in a country with minimal resources. Given current adversities in Lebanon, recent data in the country, and the literature on adversity and mental health outcomes of man-made disasters, Lebanon is most likely going to face an epidemic in poor mental health. A call is made for the wider scientific community and international organizations to support the mental health field in the country and help prevent further negative mental health outcomes. Understanding how to better navigate mental health in places with extreme adversity and emergencies can be beneficial to other communities which might face similar challenges.

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“…As at July 2021, fuel shortages have led to widespread power blackouts, with ongoing electricity cuts lasting up to 22 h per day affecting more than 90% of the country (55). The healthcare system has been ravaged, and further compromised by brain drain (56). One in five doctors are believed to have either already left the country or intend to do so (57).…”

Section: The Current Situationmentioning

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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Lebanon is losing its front line

Cited by 49 publications

References 3 publications

Mental health impacts of Lebanon's economic crisis on healthcare workers amidst COVID‐19

Mental health impacts of Lebanon's economic crisis on healthcare workers amidst COVID‐19

Mental health in Lebanon: Tomorrow's silent epidemic

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

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