Response to COVID-19 in Lebanon: update, challenges, and lessons learned

The socio-economic impact of COVID-19 was more severe on developing countries including Lebanon, especially due to the fragile health care system, weak surveillance infrastructure, and lack of comprehensive emergency preparedness and response plans. Lebanon had been struggling with a plethora of challenges at the social, economic, financial, political, and health care levels prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon revealed gaps and challenges across the spectrum of preparedness and response to emergencies. The aim of this talk is to advance the epidemiologic evolution of COVID-19 in Lebanon pre- and post-vaccination, the challenges affecting the response and recovery, and the lessons learned.

This event is part of the International Programs Major Project, Building Multidisciplinary Global Health Collaborations: Connecting Ideas, Values, and People, and centers around a weeklong visit by Dr. Nada Melhem, professor of infectious diseases and microbiology in the Division of Health Professions, Medical Laboratory Sciences, at the American University of Beirut.

Go here for the full schedule of events.

The visit is hosted by the Iowa Global Health Network with support from UI International Programs, in collaboration with the UI College of Public Health, FilmScene, Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, and the UI Carver College of Medicine.

Through the generous support of the Stanley-UI Foundation Support Organization, International Programs' Major Projects Award promotes important contributions to scholarly debates and exchanges on international topics, issues, discoveries, and arts.