Minister of Public Health in the caretaker government, Firas Al-Abyad, concluded his participation in the health-focused meetings at the United Nations General Assembly in New York with a high-level meeting on primary healthcare and its importance in achieving universal health coverage. Minister Al-Abyad delivered Lebanon's speech, emphasizing that "universal health coverage is not just a goal, but an important step towards achieving a fundamental human right, which is health. Universal coverage ensures that every individual, regardless of their circumstances and social status, has access to the health services they need without significant financial burden."
He added, "The Lebanese Parliament has a draft law for universal health coverage, but passing the law is not an easy process due to the unprecedented and multifaceted crisis facing Lebanon, which significantly affects the Lebanese healthcare system." He further mentioned that "over 80% of residents in Lebanon suffer from poverty, including a large number of displaced individuals, making it one of the countries with the highest number of displaced people relative to its population. The budget allocated to the Ministry of Public Health has drastically decreased compared to before the crisis, due to the unfortunate decline of our national currency."
Al-Abyad noted that "these challenges have not led the ministry to surrender or retreat," adding, "We have succeeded in approving a series of reforms aimed at addressing previous gaps. We launched the national health strategy at the beginning of this year, which made primary healthcare a fundamental pillar for advancing towards universal health coverage. Lebanon has worked to ensure that displaced individuals residing in our territory receive essential health services despite resource scarcity."
He stated, "Nevertheless, funding remains the biggest challenge we face. The positive economic results of investing in universal health coverage show in the long term, but they require immediate funding, and we are severely suffering under our harsh reality from a severe tightening of our financial resources, forcing many of our citizens to incur high out-of-pocket costs to obtain health services. Without a doubt, our country, despite all possible efforts, remains in urgent need of support to fund universal health coverage or ensure its sustainability."
The Minister of Health concluded, "The refugee crisis transcends our national borders. It is a shared challenge and requires a joint responsibility with the international community. The Lebanese people have proven their ability to adapt and endure, and there must be mandatory international solidarity with this people. We call on the international community to extend a hand to Lebanon, embodying the principle of defending the universal right to health."
Minister Al-Abyad is traveling to Abu Dhabi to participate in the meeting of the Arab Hospitals Federation, which will be held on the 25th and 26th of this month, with a focus on digital health.
