Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, wrapped up a 2-day visit to Beirut, Lebanon, last week, at a time of increased hostilities on Lebanon's southern border with Israel.
Lebanon's Ministry of Health Needs Serious Support
It represented Dr Balkhy's third country visit on his official trip to the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region since his appointment in February 2024. “Lebanon's healthcare system faces many challenges, from hosting 1,5 million Syrian refugees to conflicts in the south targeting healthcare workers, facilities and ambulances,” Dr Balkhy said. “The Ministry of Public Health and its partners need serious support and sustainable funding. “Helping them maintain positive health outcomes as they pursue health reforms will be critical,” he said.
Everyone Should Have Access to the Health They Need
The WHO statement said, “Other challenges facing the health system include critical shortages in the health workforce, including medical doctors and nurses, as well as medicines, medical equipment and other essential health supplies. We need to ensure that everyone living in the country can access the basic health services they need, when and where they need them. As tensions escalate at the southern border, WHO was quick to launch a preparedness and preparedness plan in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, partners and donors. A key component of the preparedness plan is the preparation of referral hospitals by training healthcare professional trainers in clinical trauma care, mass casualty management, management of psychiatric emergencies, and basic psychosocial support. Over the past 6 months, more than 125 healthcare professionals from 3906 hospitals have received advanced training in mass casualty management, trauma care and mental health. “Critical trauma kits and other essential supplies have already been deployed to hospitals in South Lebanon, while emphasis is also placed on the continuity of essential services for displaced people.”
Impact of Funding Cuts on Health
Regional Director, WHO Representative in Lebanon Dr. Accompanied by Abdinasir Abubakar, Prime Minister Mr. Najib Mikati and Minister of Public Health Dr. Firass met with Abiad. Basic health strategies for the country and Dr. They discussed Balkhy's 3 flagship initiatives in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, addressing equitable access and effective supply chain management, the health workforce, and substance use. He reiterated WHO's commitment to support Lebanon to overcome health challenges and build on existing strengths; This will bring significant benefits not only to health but also to the Lebanese economy. The WHO delegation met with United Nations (UN) partners and donors at the WHO-supported Lebanon Public Health Emergency Operations Center to help manage conflict trauma, improve coordination and manage resources. The serious consequences of funding cuts on healthcare were discussed. This situation is expected to affect not only the Lebanese people but also the Palestinian and Syrian refugees hosted by the country.
WHO Logistics Center
Dr Balkhy also met with Imran Reza, the UN Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon and also the country's Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, to discuss the UN's role in supporting the Lebanese government and people to overcome challenges and, importantly, to strengthen institutional capacity and maintain. On the second day of the mission, Dr. Abiad and Dr. Balkhy visited Lebanon's central pharmaceutical warehouse to inspect medicines procured with WHO support and trauma kits sent from WHO's logistics center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, before they were distributed. Referral hospitals in Lebanon. WHO's logistics center in Dubai responds to health emergencies arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and other infectious disease outbreaks, conflicts and humanitarian crises, natural and technological disasters, and climate change-related events. Since 2018, WHO's logistics center has delivered more than 6 shipments totaling 141 metric tons, valued at over US$185 million, to 12.000 countries across all 2000 WHO geographic regions. “WHO was able to provide immediate support for the reconstruction of the warehouse following the Beirut port explosion in 2020,” Dr Abiad said. The capacity of the new warehouse today is eight times what it was before the explosion. The new warehouse is equipped with an updated automatic Logistics Management System, which takes the management of medicines and medical supplies in the Ministry to a new level. It increased transparency, facilitated distribution right up to dispensing to the patient and, above all, ensured live and up-to-date status of medicines in the Ministry's warehouses and drug distribution centres. National medical 2D barcode track and trace system with MediTrack
