Participants at the review and planning meeting for health services in the south of LibyaA review and planning meeting to ensure access to life-saving health care services in the south of Libya was held by WHO on 21 April 2017. It was attended by all hospital directors and managers of health services from the 8 regions of the south, in addition to the directors of the Sabha branch of the National Center of Disease Control and the Oncology. The meeting was facilitated by ICRC, IOM, UNFPA and WHO.
The director of the National Health Information Centre presented the alarming results of a service availability and readiness of health facilities assessment done in collaboration with WHO. The assessment identified major gaps in health services, including reduced access to primary health care, severe shortages of medical supplies and doctors, and a reduction in hospital in-patient capacity from 920 beds in 2012 to 683 currently.
Key health needs identified for the south of Libya in 2017 included ensuring the supply of life-saving medicines, training nurses and doctors in specialized areas, repairing health facilities and building the capacity of health services to respond to the health needs of an increasing number of migrants.
