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LEBANON MAKING STRIDES AGAINST CHRONIC DISEASE

February 20, 2006

Lebanon's "Medicines for Chronic Disease" programme is generally working well, according to the scheme's annual review for 2005, although over 100,000 people in the country still suffer from chronic diseases and 42% of the population have no medical coverage at all.

The public health programme -- which cost US$17mn in 2005 -- has been running since 1988 and over 2,000 doctors and 400 clinics are participating. Heart disease is the most common chronic disease in the scheme, accounting for 56% of patients treated, while diabetes accounts for 14%. The elderly and unemployed make up the majority of people covered by the programme.

Chronic disease is an increasing problem in Lebanon -- as it is throughout the Middle East -- due to the uptake of Western lifestyles and diets, and medical professionals are calling for an expansion of health programmes aimed at low-income sections of the population. However, due to the emerging status of the Lebanese market, the country still relies heavily on international aid in order to treat chronic illness.