World Health Organization (WHO) and Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health are joining efforts to aid people who are diagnosed with heart diseases in the country. With increasing numbers of patients battling cardiovascular diseases, thousands among the Lebanese population are currently benefiting from such joint efforts through a set of initiatives that target cardiovascular illnesses along with others, such as lung diseases, cancer and diabetes. Cardiovascular diseases are highly focused on due to their high death toll in Lebanon with a total of 47 percent of all non-communicable diseases. A pilot initiative was launched in 2012 under the name “Prediction and Management of Total Cardiovascular Risk in the PHC Network in Lebanon”. The objective of the initiative was to prevent cardiovascular events by assessing and managing risk, and manage people with hypertension, hyperglycemia and other pre-established heart conditions while modifying behavioral risk factors, such as diet and tobacco use. Due to the pilot’s success, the project is now fully launched. The initiative has expanded to over two thirds of the primary health care network and is available in 217 clinical facilities across the country. Over 14,000 people have undergone initial testing such…
Thousands Benefit as Lebanon Combats Cardiovascular Diseases
October 1, 2015
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