Amid the Healthcare crisis in Lebanon, World Vision makes a difference in Children’s Well-being

With the exacerbating economic crisis and deteriorating living conditions, it's not only food, water, and education that become hard to obtain  rights, but also medical care. The programme entitled “Preventative Healthcare Package,” funded by World Vision Taiwan in Baalbek and surrounding areas, addresses this issue. It is designed for registered children under World Vision’s Sponsorship Programme and their siblings.

Each child receives a preliminary health check by a paediatrician and is then referred to a Primary Health Care Center for follow-up if needed. They also benefit from an insurance package of 2,000 USD which covers medical expenses arising from accidents.

Many families have participated in this project and continue to use its services for their children's well-being. Sonia is one such parent, with three children under the sponsorship programe, all of whom have been affected by the economic situation in Lebanon. The children have been out of school for three years due to financial constraints, a direct consequence of the crisis and a plight shared by many families. However, they can provide their children with proper medical insurance thanks to the programme.

“When we went to Dar al Amal Hospital, the doctor did a checkup on my children and told me that my two middle children have thalassemia, and I also need to get them specialised care,” shares Sonia.

Recently, Ali, her 11-year-old son, stepped on a glass shard and injured his foot. He needed immediate surgery as there was still glass inside his foot. With the help of the project, Ali was able to have the surgery and is still recovering.

“If there was no insurance, we wouldn’t have been able to perform the surgery. I was very happy with the help I received because I can’t pay for it myself,” admits Sonia.

Even with his foot injury, Ali is still aspiring to become a professional football player and is eagerly waiting to recover so he can get back on the field. 

“Parents in the worsening situation in Lebanon don’t have a plan or preparation for any emergency happening which is why this project was implemented. We work with registered children who are below 17 years old, which get the insurance package for 1 year, in addition to the checkups in which follow-up calls were conducted to ensure that the children are getting the specialised care they need,” explains Charbel El Khoury, Baalbek and Hermel area manager

He also highlights that “There are also informative and awareness sessions being conducted in which caregivers are informed about using the mobile application in which the insurance is accessible through as well as sessions about the Mother and Child health sharing general health information and precautions to keep the children safe and healthy.” 

Funded by World Vision Taiwan, this project has helped 2,006 children and targets to reach 2,500 children who are losing their right to medical care every day due to the worsening situation in Lebanon. Ali and his siblings represent just one example of the many children in need of help.