Reducing Preventable Preterm Deliveries among Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

Abstract

The K2P Policy Dialogue, conducted on April 6, 2017, hosted 20 diverse stakeholders from multi-disciplinary backgrounds. These included representatives from: Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), National Collaborative Perinatal Neonatal Network (NCPNN), Federation of Arab Obstetrics and Gynecology Societies, Order of Midwives, Order of Nurses, Lebanese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Local and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) such as Makhzoumi Foundation, Amel Association, International Medical Corps, Médecins Sans Frontiers, and WHO, Directors of hospitals, primary health care centers, physicians, researchers, and students The policy dialogue was facilitated by Dr. Fadi El-Jardali, the Director of the K2P Center, in the presence of Dr. Walid Ammar, the Director General of the MOPH and senior health representative of UNHCR in Lebanon, Dr. Michael Woodman. Dialogue participants discussed the overall framing of the problem of preterm deliveries among Syrian refugees. All participants acknowledged the existence of the problem and agreed on the need to focus on the many factors that are leading to the problem. It was agreed that preterm birth is a significant burden on hospitals, available specialist pediatric care and places a financial burden on refugees themselves and UNHCR.