This essay on “The collaborative governance of Lebanon’s health sector” is a well-documented, easily read, review of the transformation of Lebanon’s health care system, over the past two decades. I would like to commend Dr. Wim Vanlerbergh, Dr. Abdel Hay Mechbal and Dr. Nabil Kronfol, who put this together based on evidence, published robust surveys, extensive interviews and mapping of all stakeholders’ positions.
It has not been an easy journey: the post-civil war period in the 1990s witnessed a health sector dominated by powerful lobbies, political clientelism, a booming private sector, and a Ministry of health – weakened and marginalized - yet actively requested to subsidize health care, with serious budgetary consequences to the country, already drained by years of conflict...