Between life & death: Political economy of breast cancer care for refugee populations in Lebanon

Abstract

Refugees and displaced groups have been shown to face increased risk of developing advanced cancer stages. This has been shown to be evident in Lebanon, whereby refugees are detected at later stages when compared to the Lebanese population. Lebanon is one of the biggest host (per capita) of refugees worldwide, and suffers from difficult political situation, compounded by an economic crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and a blast which hit the capital Beirut in 2020. The main determinants of poor health outcomes among migrant populations in Lebanon include a fragmented and inequitable healthcare system and legal constraints to healthcare accessibility. The health care system is largely privatised with multiple health systems operating simultaneously for different nationalities. The current multi-crisis situation has exacerbated the fragility of the health system and its ability to cope with increasing needs. On the other hand, legal constraints for refugees to obtain residency in Lebanon has also contributed to insufficient access to health care and poor health outcomes among this population. Health system reforms, improved emergency preparedness and response measures, and an ease on legal and political restrictions for the refugee populations in Lebanon are considered key policy recommendations to ensure refugees right to health in Lebanon.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Health equity; Health system; Lebanon; Migrants; Refugees.