Tenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

The Political Economy of Health in Lebanon is a subject-matter hardly touched upon in the discourse – namely because the “political” aspect of this correlation is largely complex. As access to healthcare in Lebanon remains subject to layers of political and sectarian interests, what hinders the health sector is not meritocratic practices, but rather political objectives. When tackling this issue, the research encounters two fundamental pillars upon which to build this analysis: state structure and institutions of sectarian political parties. The ideological hegemony of sectarianism does not infiltrate the access to healthcare exclusively, but rather influences Lebanon’s “system” as a whole, with intersections among various governmental agencies and institutions hindering the effectiveness of the other. Findings from Informant Interviews conducted with experts, officials, and academics in Lebanon have concluded that Lebanon does not have a national policy on healthcare, but rather operates navigating through pieced-together policies and directives amid sectarian/political constraints. Current demographic and conflict-based challenges Lebanon currently faces have rendered the system which “covers the most vulnerable Lebanese” not only ineffective, but also exclusive. With Lebanon lacking the funds and resources for its health sector to accommodate unforeseen challenges, as well as the sharp decrease in international aid, Lebanon’s health sector is faced with a need to resort to post-hoc policies rather than preparing and adapting other universal models contextually. Our interventions explore the fundamental hindrances, short-comings, as well as the overall lack of preparation and political will which shape Lebanon’s health sector through a political economy lens.