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LebanonMSF in Lebanon, 2008Field Staff: 8 Reason for Intervention:
Recent update: All articles on Lebanon » After an evaluation in 2008 that focused on the mental health needs of Lebanon’s people, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) began a three year program in Burj el-Barajneh. This southern suburb of Beirut is home to many Lebanese, recently arrived Iraqi refugees, and Palestinian refugees who have lived there since 1948. In Lebanon, 17 percent of the population have mental health problems, but only 11 percent of this group have access to medical treatment. The health system is expensive because it is heavily privatized, and mental health care is not covered by public health services. The few existing mental health centers focus only on children, but adults also need this kind of care, including those in the refugee population. The 2006 war highlighted this need among Lebanese people, but the necessary measures have not been implemented. In December 2008, MSF opened its community mental health center on the south side of Beirut. The center saw around a dozen patients in the last few days of the year, and a rapid increase in patient numbers is expected in 2009. The MSF team comprises international and Lebanese staff. They offer psychological and psychiatric assistance to all those who need it, regardless of age, gender, or national origin. To establish the program in the area and to overcome the stigma associated with mental health issues, MSF, with the help of local NGOs, also organizes psychosocial activities for the community. Promoting mental health among the area’s residents should facilitate the future handover of the project, and make it easier for people to participate in individual, family, and group therapy sessions at the community center. MSF has worked in Lebanon since 2008. |
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