Impact of International Monetary Funds' Conditionality on Health Sector: A Threat or Opportunity for Lebanon?

Abstract

Since October 2019, Lebanon has been suffering from an unprecedented economic and financial crisis, exacerbated by political instability in the country, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Beirut port explosion. The economic and financial crisis in Lebanon is ranked among the top 10 most severe crises globally since the mid-19th century. Lebanon’s economic downfall had a crippling effect on all healthcare sectors, and COVID-19 has further aggravated the crisis. The nation's healthcare system is currently is at a brink of collapse with significant loss of medical staff, a scarcity of medical supplies, and a disruption in the delivery of healthcare. This evidence document aims to answer the following question: What effects will the IMF reforms have on the health sector and what are the implications for Lebanon? The document is structured as follows: 1) overview of the IMF; 2) impact of IMF conditionalities on health system and health systems and outcomes, and 3) implications and way forward for Lebanon.