The quarterly dashboard summarizes the progress made by partners involved in the Lebanon Crisis Response and highlights trends affecting people in need. The Health Sector in Lebanon is working to: OUTCOME 1) Improved access to comprehensive primary healthcare (PHC) ; OUTCOME 2) improve access to hospital and advanced referral care; OUTCOME 3) improve outbreak control; OUTCOME 4) Improved Child, Adolescent & Youth Health.
Changes in Context - First Quarter
As of January 1st 2017, UNHCR has contracted with a new third party administrator (TPA), NEXtCARE (Hotline: 01- 50 40 20), to manage refugees’ access to hospital care for emergency/life-saving as well as obstetric care through a network of 50 hospitals across Lebanon.
In January, MoPH issued a letter informing UNHCR and partners that its support to 49 Syrian patients with chronic renal failure for dialysis sessions will stop by the end of February. While various partners have mobilized funds to support those patients’ continued access to dialysis, the funds secured are likely to be depleted by the end of May 2017. Support to dialysis treatment has been flagged to OCHA-Lebanon Humanitarian Fund (LHF) as a critical gap in the sector especially since URDA the main partner supporting around 110 dialysis patients does not have enough funds to support additional patients. In addition to that, advocacy efforts are underway to garner various donors’ interest in supporting this life-saving cause.
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)-France has opened a general pediatric unit at the Zahle Hospital and currently admitting children 3 months to 15 years with acute conditions not needing intensive care with plans of expansion as of May. This will further support access to hospital care for vulnerable children in the Bekaa area.