When medicine is out of reach: access to health care in Lebanon

In Halba, a village in Lebanon's Akkar governorate, a quiet but vital shift is beginning. In communities affected by displacement, conflict, and economic hardship, the groundwork is being laid to restore access to essential health care. With the support of the Government of Canada through the Humanitarian Coalition, Médecins du Monde launched a comprehensive initiative to address urgent health needs -- including access to medication, mental health services, and care for chronic conditions.

The program is designed to meet people where they are -- particularly in underserved areas like Halba, where distance, cost, and service gaps have made even basic care out of reach for many. Gaps in care for serious conditions -- including cancer -- are widespread, and mental health stigma continues to prevent many from seeking help.

That reality is clear in the story of Maha*, a 45-year-old refugee mother living alone with her son, who has epilepsy. After being abandoned by her husband, she was left to navigate both her own health needs and those of her child without a stable income. She has often had to forgo her own treatment to prioritize her son's, but even accessing care for him is a struggle. Transportation to the nearest health center is prohibitively expensive, and once there, she's frequently met with a lack of available services and medication. Her experience is emblematic of the wider barriers facing displaced families across the region.

Abdel*, a retired man in his sixties living in the same area, described similar difficulties. Living with heart failure, he has found the cost of treatment to be far beyond his means. Despite reaching out to health centers, the medication he needs simply hasn't been available. He expressed hope that support could be extended to reach more people like him.

Maha and Abdel's stories underscore a critical truth: in emergencies, access to medicine is not a luxury. Chronic illnesses persist whether or not systems are ready. When treatment is delayed or unavailable, the consequences are immediate and sometimes irreversible.

By addressing both immediate and long-term needs and by working directly with affected communities, Médecins du Monde is laying the foundation for consistent and inclusive life-saving care.  

*Names were changed for security reasons