Vulnerable people groups
More than a quarter of Lebanon’s population is made up of refugees, as many people fled Syria to Lebanon. Many of these people face barriers to accessing healthcare, exacerbated by an increasingly strained public health system.
Supporting vulnerable populations
We have collaborated with the Ministry of Public Health to start vaccinating elderly people and healthcare workers in nursing homes. We provide the materials to vaccinate these groups.
Providing essentials
MSF has installed several water tanks in refugee camps in the Beirut and South Lebanon area. Our team also distributed 600 hygiene kits to reinforce infection prevention measures.
Testing and triage
We continue to support the Ministry of Public Health in its COVID-19 testing strategy across Lebanon in which hundreds of testing campaigns and over 17,800 tests have been conducted. The testing capacity was also expanded to include 10,000 people crossing the Lebanese Syrian border point in Masnaa, Bekaa valley.
Community education
We are conducting health education sessions about COVID-19 vaccination and several awareness sessions for refugees on proper hand washing both on the ground and through digital platforms.
Médecins Sans Frontières is providing support and medical care around the world to counter the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re providing essential care through dedicated COVID-19 facilities, equipping frontline medical staff with PPE and training, and supporting health authorities through testing and community education.
With 50 years of experience fighting epidemics, we’re committed to protecting the most vulnerable and saving lives.
Home to approximately 6 million people, more than a quarter of Lebanon’s population is now made up of refugees. This influx of people has put immense strain on the country’s economy and infrastructure and this is particularly felt in the health sector. Lebanon's national services, such as education, housing, water and electricity are suffering from a lack of investment and the pressure of providing for a growing population with such specific needs.
Despite the efforts of the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health in supporting primary and secondary healthcare for refugees, the cost of consultations, laboratory tests, and medication remains a barrier for a significant number of refugees.
Our teams provide treatment for acute and chronic diseases, sexual and reproductive healthcare, mental health support and health promotion activities. MSF also operates a home-based care program for patients with chronic diseases who suffer from mobility problems.
MSF expanded its services to offer secondary and tertiary care with the opening of a paediatric unit in a government hospital in 2017. Teams also run mother and child health centres across the country, for vulnerable communities of various nationalities, including largely Palestinian and Syrian refugees.
MSF runs three primary healthcare centres in Tripoli and Akkar governorates and a dedicated mental health program in three centres, targeting vulnerable Syrians and Lebanese.
In October 2017, MSF implemented a water and sanitation program in informal tente settlements in a number of villages in Akkar that are not assisted by other humanitarian organisations.
