Lebanon’s Rising Cancer Crisis Due to Air Pollution and Lack of Access to Medicine

2024-05-05 18:00:06

These figures may seem shocking, but they are precedents compared to previous years, since in 2018, Lebanon recorded around 17,000 new cases of cancer and around 9,000 deaths, placing it first among the countries in the world. West Asia in terms of number of infections relative to population, and third among West Asian countries in terms of number of infections relative to population. place in the ranking of deaths compared to the number of cases for the population.

However, these figures remain very dangerous and have a shocking impact on many residents, both men and women, who cannot access medicines, due to deteriorating incomes and in light of widely reported estimates of a doubling of the number of cancers. cases and an increase in the risk of contracting it as a direct result of the increase in air pollution resulting from the spread of electric generators following the exacerbation of the disease, in addition to the deterioration of security and safety conditions. due public hygiene. austerity in public spending on the environment, waste treatment, health and everything related to social affairs and human development for residents of Lebanon.

Air pollution is one of the main factors contributing to the increase in cancer cases in Lebanon, particularly lung cancer, which accounts for 12% of all cases (and is second only to breast cancer). , and is the leading cause of death. disease at a rate of 19.3%.

Rep. Najat Saliba, executive director of the American University Environmental Academy and supervisor of a study prepared by the American University of Beirut, says air pollution in Beirut resulting from the proliferation of private power generators doubled from 23% to 46% and 50% between 2017 and 2023.

The study’s methodology is based on a comparative study between the years 2013 and 2023 of air quality in the city of Beirut in three main areas: downtown Beirut, the surroundings of the American University and the destinations of Tariq al-Jadidah.

Since the outbreak of the economic crisis in Lebanon in 2019 and the reduction of Electricity of Lebanon production to a few hours per day, the use of private generators running on diesel has increased as the main and almost sole source of electricity. ‘electricity. According to Lebanese customs figures, between 2019 and 2023, Lebanon imported electricity generators worth US$83 million, and the value of generator imports increased from US$8 million in 2020 to US$21 million in 2023.

It should be noted that the importation of generators with a capacity not exceeding 75 KVA increased significantly from 6,772 generators to 14,548 generators between 2019 and 2023, noting that the peak was recorded in 2022, which saw the liberalization of energy prices and increased rationing. , and Lebanon imported around 18,411 generators of this size at that time.

The total number of imported small generators reached approximately 59,906 generators between 2019 and 2023, reflecting consumers’ dependence on small generators to meet their needs apart from electricity rationing and power generators. neighborhood in Lebanon.

There is a worrying trend in terms of increasing cancer cases, not only in Lebanon but also around the world. According to World Health Organization estimates, around 20 million new cases of cancer and around 9.7 million deaths were recorded in 2022, and more than 35 million new cases of cancer will be recorded in 2050, an increase of 77%. over the year 2022. Cancer incidence rates reflect people’s exposure to risk factors, many of which are linked to social and economic development, and according to the World Health Organization, air pollution Air represents a major environmental risk factor.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health has stopped updating and publishing its data on cancer rates in Lebanon since 2016. However, ministry sources pointed out that around $19 million has been allocated in 2022 to the import of medicines for cancer patients, which constitutes an average of 19 million dollars. 560 dollars per patient (assuming the figure is the same as that followed by the World Health Organization), while a study on the financial burdens of cancer treatment in Lebanon published in 2016 shows that the The average cost of treating a case of lung cancer is approximately $5,260 per year, more than 9 times what the Department of Health currently provides. It exceeds double the current minimum annual salary in Lebanon.

For your information, the total cost of cancer treatment at the time was $6,690 per case per year. Here, this great disparity between the supposed cost of treatment and what the Ministry of Health provides and what the per capita income allows to provide expresses the horror of what cancer patients suffer in Lebanon.

However, the economic burdens resulting from the growing number of cancer patients go beyond the issue of medical and even hospital bills, although they remain the most important and basic. In practice, cancer takes on a broader economic dimension that includes increasing poverty, loss of sources of income and reduced productivity. The dangerous reality of cancer in Lebanon is evident in the increase in cases of infection among young people and adolescents, who constitute a significant part of the economy’s workforce, according to the testimonies of many cancer specialists.

While it is known that the risk of developing cancer increases with age, as for Lebanon, estimates from the World Health Organization indicate that the risk of developing cancer before the age of 75 has reached 17.3% in 2022. Although this percentage is still lower than the global average (20%). However, the risk of dying from cancer before the age of 75 is approximately 9.7%, exceeding the global average (9.6%), indicating the extent of the ability to cope and combat this disease, which is gradually declining due to the high cost of care and the deterioration in the value of salaries given the almost total absence of public policies and the deterioration of health coverage by social security. (platform zero)

1714986078
#Shocking #figures #cancer #Lebanon.. #worrying #data