“Frightening” conditions for pregnant women in Lebanon

A report issued by the United Nations Children's Fund provided frightening information about the health conditions that threaten the lives of pregnant women in Lebanon.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said that the number of women dying in Lebanon from pregnancy-related complications has nearly tripled amid a crushing economic crisis that has been going on for three years, which has seen doctors and midwives flee the country, and the crisis is also affecting the health of children, especially among Syrian refugees who They fled into the country across the border.

UNICEF noted that a third of children did not have access to health care until October 2021 and the number of children dying within the first four weeks of birth “significantly increased among refugees in four assessed provinces, from 65 newborn deaths in the first quarter of 2020 to 137 deaths in the third quarter.

Lebanon has received 1.5 million Syrian refugees, which represents about a quarter of its population, according to official estimates.

"Parents and families are frequently unable to access basic health care for their children, while many dedicated health care workers struggle to keep work going in light of the crisis," said Ettie Higgins, UNICEF Representative in Lebanon.

According to the organization, about 40% of doctors, especially those who specialize in the care of women and children, left the country, in addition to 30% of midwives, which weakened the quality of these services in a country that was considered a health care center in the region, according to "Reuters".

According to Faisal al-Qaq, coordinator of the National Committee for Safe Motherhood, the number of pregnant women deaths has increased, largely due to the delta strain of the Corona virus in 2021, but he said that the crisis is also a factor behind the increase.

"Mothers may not go to the doctors enough, or are afraid to go because of the cost," Al-Qaq explained.

"UNICEF" said that the high costs of transportation and services due to the collapse of the currency value, and the removal of most subsidies on fuel and medicines, made health care unaffordable for many.

It is worth noting that child vaccination rates in Lebanon have also fallen, leaving hundreds of thousands vulnerable to preventable diseases such as measles and pneumonia.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news