The Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank approved the project of “Supporting the steadfastness of Health sector in Lebanon” during its meeting held on 26 June 2017 at the Bank’s headquarters in Washington. This project was submitted by the Ministry of Public Health to enhance Preventive Hospital and Health sector in Lebanon during the meetings that Deputy Prime Minister Health Minister Ghassan Hasbani held at the World Bank’s headquarters in Washington between 20 and 21 April.

This project comes in the context of the Bank’s broader strategy aiming at the support of the government to reduce the economic and social impacts of the Syrian crisis on vulnerable societies.

The World Bank allocated a financial assistance that amounts to 120 million dollars to support heath Care system in Lebanon within a larger package that aims at providing vital services to a thousand of poor families that suffer from structural problems aggravated by the influx of large numbers of Syrian refugees. In parallel, the Islamic Development Bank allocated an additional amount of 30 million dollars for the same project that aims at providing health services to 340 thousand persons.

In the discourse on the project, Hasbani noted that the 150 million-dollar package consists of a positive model for cooperation between Lebanon and the International Community, adding that “Our humanitarian partners offered a crucial support. However they cannot meet all demands. The International program gave us the opportunity to reach valuable partnerships that enable us to lay the foundations to deal with the current crisis in conjunction with the growth path and the creation of employment in the long term.”

Hasbani noted that a part of this financial package will be allocated to support and develop governmental hospitals and Primary Health Care Centers, given our belief in the role played to support these hospitals that have been suffering from accumulated financial pressures for years.