Strategic Plans

In the following pages, we reveal a compelling vision for the future of digital health in Lebanon—an innovative blueprint developed through collaborative, forward-thinking, and inclusive efforts. With the recognition of digital technology as an integral driver of healthcare improvement, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has been at the forefront, rallying essential stakeholders and orchestrating strategic discussions aimed at redefining our healthcare landscape...

As Lebanon faces challenges deeply impacting its health system, it's with a sense of resolve and hope that I write this introduction to Lebanon’s inaugural National Cancer Plan.
 
Born out of an earnest collaboration with national and international experts, this plan represents our unwavering dedication to rekindle hope, dignity, and zest for life among those affected by cancer.
 
It is a meticulously designed blueprint that encompasses not only prevention, early detection, and state-of-the-art treatment, but it also addresses the emotional well-being of patients and communities.
 
We commit ourselves to fortify our healthcare infrastructure, foster continuous learning for healthcare professionals, and invest in research and technology...

Lebanon is passing through one of the most severe and complex crises in its recent history, caused by the interplay of political turbulence, socioeconomic meltdown, and the lingering COVID-19 pandemic. Regionally, conflict and instability continue to result in the influx of refugees, which constitute now around one third of the Lebanese population.

The intertwined crises Lebanon has been suffering from unmasked the effects of pre-existing health system inefficiencies, including the predominance of tertiary care over preventive and primary care; a weakened public health sector; a pluralistic financing system; and a supply-induced demand with unsustainable and unrealistic expectations. The synergistic effects of these crises amplified the malfunctioning of a disrupted health system, rendering a system notorious for its resilience at the verge of a breakdown. As a result, the ability to respond to the increased needs of a growing population was deterred. Equitable access to care was exceptionally difficult for people with vulnerabilities. Worsening in health outcomes was noted at many fronts: life expectancy, maternal mortality, under 5 mortality, and childhood vaccination. Previously forgotten diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, and most recently cholera re-emerged, and the health gains of previous years have started to fade away...

In end of 2014 the MOPH embarked in a large exercise of developing a 2015-2020 strategic plan for the health sector. All MOPH departments, main stakeholders, the academia and renowned experts were involved in this exercise. In mid 2015 OMSAR, in the framework of an EU financed project, recruited consultants to assist 4 ministries, including the MOPH, to develop a strategic plan according to a nationally standardized model.

Based on the many documents produced by the MOPH drafting team and following thorough consultations with the MOPH departments and national experts, the consultant produced a draft strategic plan 2016-2020... 

There have been many transformations to the NIP inthe recent years. New vaccines wereadded to the vaccination schedule, the cohorts served by the public sector kepton expandingsince the onset of the Syrian crisis, measures to consolidatethe vaccine purchasing arrangements were adopted,and there wasa leveraging up ofthe vaccinovigilanceand its effective management.In 2016, the Ministryof health in Lebanon decided that it was the time to take stock, constructon the current NIP strengthsand achievements andidentify areas for further improvement. A strategy for the NIP for 2016-2020 wasenvisagedin agreementwith the development partners. A detailed situation analysis assessment was initiatedin October 2015 in two stages: at the initial stage, the country and health system contexts were analyzed, and immunization system performance was measured. In the second stage, a framework was developed in consultations with key stakeholders to define gaps in the evidence. Immunization coverage evaluation survey was conducted in 2016 and fed into filling the lacunas in information...

Policies are important in organizational management and performance, but will only make a distinction if they are successfully implemented. Policies must be turned into actions and influence the practical, day-to-day operations of the system. For that, it is imperative to transform the national immunization policy into a multiyear plan (4 years plan), with priority activities identified and as well as a financial sustainability proposal...

Despite the ongoing insecurity climate and socio-political instability for decades, the Lebanese healthcare system has been able to sustain achievements among which, controlling and preventing outbreaks, ensuring universal accessibility to essential quality care, decreasing out of pocket expenditures and lowering of maternal and child mortality (achievement of MDGs 4 and 5)[1]. Five years into the Syrian crisis, the Lebanese health system is still showing considerable resilience, despite the unprecedented increase of demand and strain on the healthcare system. The continuous focus on non-emergency reforms in the health sector shows that progress in achieving strategic goals has been maintained against all odds. It is, hence, noteworthy to look at the main historical stages of the health system development following the 1975-1989 civil war...

With the shift from a state of emergency into a state of protracted crisis in Syria, the humanitarian response in Lebanon ought to take a strategic turn. Funding spontaneous and sporadic humanitarian initiatives, though a necessity at the beginning of the crisis, is no longer an option in 2015...

Achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is a main goal of the National Health Strategy, and is based on the principles of justice, equity, poverty reduction and the rational use of resources. It requires financing or providing preventive and curative quality health care for all, to satisfy each one’s needs against affordable contributions. Whereas alleviating the financial burden, as much as possible, on households, especially the poor, remains a main objective of UHC...

A number of misconceptions dominate over the health sector in Lebanon which created an obscur vision of the real problems that require treatment. While this sector is a victim of endless criticism from both the media and the citizens, the health system in Lebanon was able to defeat this obstacle by winning several mentions in diverse fields from global references with the most recently published in the World Health Report for 2010 issued by the WHO.