Amnesty International has recommended to the Lebanese government, “the need to take care to secure medicine for citizens, as it has become out of reach for many of them, especially those with chronic diseases.”
A statement by the organization said, on Thursday, that the government “has failed to fulfill its obligations related to supporting primary health care centers, which provide free and low-cost medicines, which are in high demand.”
The statement indicated that “the Lebanese government’s response to the crisis” disappointed hopes and caused “enormous pressure” on the already fragile health sector.
“People in Lebanon are experiencing unbearable suffering trying to obtain life-saving medicines, and the authorities continue to evade their responsibility to protect the right to health,” said Aya Majzoub, Deputy Middle East and North Africa Director at Amnesty International.
The same official recommended that the Lebanese authorities quickly address the drug crisis “by increasing the budget of primary health care centers, addressing the shortage of subsidized and non-subsidized medicines, and strengthening social assistance programmes.
It also called on the international community to “raise funding for organizations that provide affordable and accessible health services.”
The statement revealed that “during the period between July 19 and August 12 of last year, the organization conducted research on the possibility of obtaining medicines throughout Lebanon.”
According to the same document, the researchers visited three primary health care centers in Baalbek and Beirut and interviewed 23 people, including patients, pharmacists, health workers, government health care officials, and workers in non-governmental organizations.
And the statement added: “Primary health care centers, which are supervised by the government and run by non-governmental organizations, have become one of the few options available to the population who are looking for free or low-cost medicines.”
However, the statement added, “Despite a significant increase in the number of people seeking its services, the centers have not received an increase in funding, which has led to a shortage of medicines.”
An official at the Ministry of Public Health told Amnesty International that the number of patients receiving health services, including medicines, in primary health care centers has increased by 62% since 2020.
The government reduced its total spending on the health sector by 40% between 2018 and 2022, according to the Lebanese Minister of Health, in the caretaker government, Firas Al-Abyad.