Recommendations for Improving Equitability of Care for Pediatric Oncology Patients in Lebanon

Objectives

There is a severe economic crisis in Lebanon that has significantly impacted its healthcare system, particularly pediatric oncology. With a high cancer incidence rate and increasing pediatric cancer burden, it remains inequitable to access specialized care, particularly among rural and refugee communities. Pediatric oncology services are centralized in few tertiary care centers within Beirut, with no access to specialized healthcare professionals.

Methods

This review addresses the provision of care for pediatric oncology in Lebanon through the deployment of healthcare personnel, the availability of diagnostic and therapeutic services, and the operation of national and international assistance systems. Information was gathered from hospital records, government reports, and studies on child cancer care in Lebanon with a focus on the availability of services, workforce, and barriers to equal access.

Results

The economic crisis has severely limited access to treatment, diagnostics, and basic supportive care, including psychosocial and palliative support. Although centers such as the Children's Cancer Institute of the American University of Beirut Medical Center provide high-quality, donor-funded care, financial and logistical barriers deprive many children of timely therapy. In addition, maintaining cancer registries is also an issue, particularly for refugees, and therefore planning services and distributing resources is even more challenging.

Conclusions

Scaling up decentralized pediatric oncology care, integrating digital health technologies, and strengthening international partnerships are essential to bridging these gaps. Further, investment in healthcare workforce capacity building, particularly in nursing and psychosocial support, is crucial to sustaining care delivery. Lebanon's National Cancer Plan provides a framework for bridging these disparities, but greater governmental investment and long-term international partnerships are required.

Implications for Nursing Practice

This review highlights the urgent need for systemic reforms to ensure equitable access to pediatric oncology care, improve patient outcomes, and mitigate the long-term impact of Lebanon's healthcare crisis.