Lebanon - Health



As of 1999, there were an estimated 2.1 physicians and 2.7 hospital beds per 1,000 people. The Lebanese Ministry of Health's review of hospital use identified the major health problems as follows: hypertension, diabetes, and asthma, in addition to eye and ear diseases, cardiac conditions, and dermatological problems. In 2000, 100% of the population had access to safe drinking water and 99% had adequate sanitation.

As of 2002, the crude birth rate and overall mortality rate were estimated at, respectively, 8.2 and 14.7 per 1,000 people. About 61% of married women (ages 15 to 49) used contraception as of 2000. Life expectancy in 2000 was 70 years and the infant mortality rate was 26 per 1,000 live births. The fertility rate was2.3 births per childbearing woman. The maternal mortality rate in 1998 was 100 per 100,000 live births. In 1999, immunization rates for children up to one year old included diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus, 94%, and measles, 88%. Vitamin deficiencies are a problem; 25.7% of all school-age children have goiter (1996).

Between 1982 and 1990, there were approximately 144,000 war-related deaths due to the Israeli invasion. In fact, the major causes of death between 1987–1991 were violence and acts of war. War has had a significant impact on the development of many Lebanese children. Many children suffer from posttraumatic stress disorders.

The HIV-1 prevalence in 1999 was 0.1 per 100 adults. In 1996, there were 91 HIV cases. Malaria, polio, and neonatal tetanus are rare. In 1999, there were 24 cases of tuberculosis per 100,000 people.

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