The vaccination rate for children in Lebanon has fallen by more than 30%, accentuating a health crisis marked by shortages of medicines and the exodus of the medical profession, the United Nations said on Wednesday (April 20th).
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The critical drop in immunization rates has left children vulnerable to life-threatening diseases such as measles, diphtheria and pneumonia
," the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a new report titled "
A worsening health crisis for children
”.
“
Routine childhood immunization dropped by 31% when the rate was already at a worrying level, leaving large numbers of children vulnerable to disease
,” according to the report.
The worst economic crisis in modern history
Lebanon has been hit since 2019 by an unprecedented economic crisis described by the World Bank (WB) as the worst in modern history.
The national currency has lost more than 90% of its value and around 80% of the Lebanese population is plunged into poverty.
“
Many families cannot even afford the transportation costs to take their children to a health center
,” explains Ettie Higgins, a UNICEF representative.
From April to October 2021, the number of children unable to access medical care jumped from 28% to 34%, according to the report.
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With the government no longer able to afford to import basic commodities such as medicines, many sufferers struggle to obtain life-saving drugs, including those used to treat chronic illnesses.
Also according to the report, more than 50% of families were unable to obtain the drugs they needed and at least 58% of hospitals reported drug shortages.
In addition, the financial collapse has caused the exodus of health professionals: 40% of doctors and 30% of midwives have already left the country, underlines UNICEF.