Following is a report by the Lebanese national news agency within FANA's health file
BEIRUT, March 6 (KUNA) -- Lebanon, a country long suffering from political instability and economic crisis prompted by the ongoing rise of the dollar exchange rate against its national lira, had put together a strategy aiming to reform the burned-out health sector.
The national health strategy - vision 2030, hinging on five main pillars, sets out to restructure the system, ensuring more equitable, integrated, people-centered and high-quality healthcare.
Putting together the strategy, which was done in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) and in support of the European Union, took a year and around 100 experts from different related sectors in Lebanon.
The strategy's first pillar aims to promote governance via proper management of the ministry, and sustaining a network and partnership with sector stakeholders.
The second pillar targets transforming the system from one that operates on recovery to one that prioritizes preventative and primary healthcare. This is achieved through a development plan targeting care centers in various Lebanese areas, supported by International Bank and the European Union.
It also aims to establish an emergency center and a centralized lab, and agreements with WHO was signed to commence the initial part of this vital project.
Currently, medical cadres and manpower suffer from depletion to a point where certain specialties like pediatric cardiovascular surgery are no longer available, and thus, the strategy prioritizes creating a more healthy work environment.
Challenges facing the current stage necessitated a launch of a new strategy as 40 percent of Lebanon's health sector comes from abroad, whether through loans or aid from donor countries or organizations.
The strategy aims to restructure Lebanon's health system by making it more effective and fair after continuous crises that revealed loopholes, which collapsed the system.
The strategy plans to achieve ensuring budget-spending transparency and correct the disastrous situation patients are suffering from, adding that it will contribute to achieving Lebanon's obligation to secure an inclusive health system by 2030.
The strategy provides urgent and clear measures to ensure the sustainability of the plan and contribute to achieving the results in the short, medium and long term.
As for financing the sector, it can be secured from various sources, including aid and loan support for the transition from humanitarian support to sustainable financing.
The strategy offers five ways to recover the health sector, including enabling the Public Health Ministry to organize and ensure basic public health functions, ensuring a financing system and services that reach inclusive health coverage as well as creating a plan to unify public health funds under one independent health authority.
It also aims to transform the system of providing health services into a system based on individuals, promote health by combating diseases and implementing programs such as the national nutrition strategy, and enhance the resilience of the health system.
The strategy stresses the importance of investing in the health information system as digitization leads to evidence-based decisions and helps avoid unnecessary problems, and ensures transparency and allows for accountability.
This strategy is the result of eighteen months of tireless work by the Minister of Health, Dr. Firass Abiad, and the technical team of national and international experts, adding that this strategy is a step that contributes towards ensuring Lebanese health with the current challenges. (end) aai.ahm