Access to sexual and reproductive health care services including information and education services (counselling, information, education, communication, Clinics, hospitals, trainings, lectures, workshops, awareness..)

 

The Islamic University of Lebanon (IUL) recognizes the importance of providing students with access to comprehensive health-care services, including sexual and reproductive health information and education. The university facilitates workshops and seminars that cover topics such as reproductive health, family planning, and personal well-being. These programs aim to equip students with knowledge to make informed health decisions.

While IUL may not directly provide medical services on campus, it collaborates with local healthcare providers and organizations to ensure that students have access to essential reproductive health care when needed. This partnership extends to sharing information about nearby clinics and facilities that specialize in these services.

By promoting awareness and education around reproductive health, IUL supports its students’ overall well-being, aligning with its commitment to holistic education and health support.

Reproductive Health services.

The primary health care department provides preventive services in order to improve the health of the family (women, children, youth and men) through:

Providing reproductive health medications and supplies through PHC centers, including 57 health centers / clinics outside the primary health care network, and providing reproductive health services to the displaced in order to improve women’s health and prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Delivering reproductive health information to beneficiaries through awareness and education programs which are provided by the primary health care centers within and outside the centers.

Providing equipment that enables early detection of reproductive system diseases (early detection of breast cancer, cervical cancer).

Encouraging pregnant women to receive a minimum of 4 visits during pregnancy and one postnatal visit.

Developing the capacity of service providers in primary health care centers based on the clinical protocols for reproductive health.

Preparing governmental hospitals to receive emergency obstetric cases.

 Equipping governmental hospitals to receive high-risk pregnancies.

 Capacity building of service providers to deal with survivors of sexual violence and refer them to relevant associations.

Capacity building of service providers of provision of equipment for primary health care centers and hospitals to address cases of rape and refer survivors to the relevant associations.

Sexual and reproduction health care services

In modern Islamic higher education institutions, considerable focus is placed on overcoming the challenges of implementing sexuality education for students. Despite the scarcity of readily available resources and comprehensive services on this topic, we have made efforts to integrate these subjects into the mandatory curriculum. These courses aim to equip students with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values related to reproductive health and sexual well-being.

Good health about the body as well as about the mind is essential to us. Staying in good health is important to all of us, and can become particularly important in the future.
Lebanon has consistently improved its health system and registered relatively favourable indicators, despite internal challenges and external shocks. The ministry of public health has developed and implemented plans, aimed at reaching the sustainable development goals, which build on past successes. Lebanon is controlling and preventing disease outbreaks and ensuring universal access to healthcare services. The quality and coverage of health services have been improving. The ministry of public health has a network of 213 primary healthcare centers across the country, which provide services in collaboration with non-governmental organizations, the Ministry of Social Affairs, and municipalities, patients can see medical specialists at a reduced cost and receive basic and chronic disease medication and vaccines free Critical diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and others are fully covered by the ministry of public health. The strategy’s central goal for the ministry of public health is universal health coverage and it is based on the principle of ‘health as the right of each citizen’. Its strategic goals are:

1. to modernize and strengthen MoPH’s executive and related administrations.
2. to improve collective public health through prevention and promotion throughout the lifecycle of each individual, and in all stages/phases of life.
3. to make concrete steps towards universal coverage of high quality, safe and affordable healthcare that priorities the poor and vulnerable.
4. to strengthen capacity and systems for timely, accurate and reliable epidemiological surveillance intelligence for public health security and emergency preparedness and response.

ref: LEBANON-Voluntary National Review(VNR) on sustainable development goals (SDGs

Special care must be taken by all the active bodies to ensure good health. Among the noble goals that the Islamic university of Lebanon (IUL) aspired to was the improvement of health and wellbeing outcomes. To achieve this vision, IUL set out many collaborative plans to establish its position within the framework of health community service. Namely, the mission was carried by the applied departments in the Faculty of Health including nursing, physical therapy, speech therapy and medical laboratory. In specific, nursing department aims to graduate qualified health professionals with scientific competencies and high work skills, to meet the needs of the labor market in Lebanon and the world.

3.3 Health Impact
In this part of the goal, the actions that the Islamic Lebanese University carries out to improve local and global health and well-being of both the academic community and Lebanon will be shown.
3.3.4 Does your university as a body provide students access to sexual and reproductive health-care services including information and education services?

Access to sexual and reproductive health care services including information and education services (counselling, information, education, communication, Clinics, hospitals, trainings, lectures, workshops, awareness..)

Reproductive Health services.
The primary health care department provides preventive services in order to improve the health of the family (women, children, youth and men) through:
Providing reproductive health medications and supplies through PHC centers, including 57 health centers / clinics outside the primary health care network, and providing reproductive health services to the displaced in order to improve women’s health and prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Delivering reproductive health information to beneficiaries through awareness and education programs which are provided by the primary health care centers within and outside the centers.
Providing equipment that enables early detection of reproductive system diseases (early detection of breast cancer, cervical cancer).
Encouraging pregnant women to receive a minimum of 4 visits during pregnancy and one postnatal visit.
Developing the capacity of service providers in primary health care centers based on the clinical protocols for reproductive health.
Preparing governmental hospitals to receive emergency obstetric cases.
Equipping governmental hospitals to receive high-risk pregnancies.
Capacity building of service providers to deal with survivors of sexual violence and refer them to relevant associations.
Capacity building of service providers of provision of equipment for primary health care centers and hospitals to address cases of rape and refer survivors to the relevant associations.

Antenatal and Postnatal care services.
The primary health care department offers as well antenatal and postnatal care services for pregnant Lebanese and non-Lebanese women across Lebanon as part of the reproductive health services. These services were supported by the formulation of the ‘’Service Delivery Guidelines’’, which were followed by consecutive training for primary health care (PHC) centers’ staff across Lebanon upon implementation.

The antenatal and postnatal care services offered by the PHC centers consist of the following:

All pregnant women visiting the centers should receive:

• Minimum of 4 antenatal care services
• 2 Echography during pregnancy
• 1 postnatal visit
• Coverage of vaccination for newborn of followed up mothers (according to the National Vaccination Calendar)
• Provision of Reproductive Health drugs and supplies to all PHC centers, in addition to 64 Reproductive Health dispensaries supported by International NGOs to serve the displaced Syrians.

Service Delivery guidelines for reproductive health care.

MoPH with the support of UNFPA and in collaboration with the Lebanese Society of Obstetrics & Gynecology (LSOG) launched ” The Revised Version of the Service Delivery Guidelines for Reproductive Health” in June 2015, which aimed at improving the knowledge and skills of service providers, in order to ensure the provision of reproductive health services that meet women’s, men’s and youth’s needs in Lebanon.

Accordingly, the first phase of training took place from July to September, with 275 physicians and health care workers, including: 160 paramedical specialties, 88 medical and 27 humanitarian actors.

The training aims to improve the knowledge, skills and confidence of health workers to ensure that reproductive health needs of women, men adults and youth are met in normal setting and in the case of crises.

 

The health center at the Islamic University of Lebanon. HC – IUL

Free of Charge

 

Systems level, WHO.

According to the interviews with 47 directors and supervisors of SRH and HIV services: Partnerships:

• SRH directors and supervisors identify their major partner as the MOPH (85 per cent) and less frequently mention the Ministry of Social Affairs, doctors, nurses and NGOs. HIV/VCT directors and supervisors identify the NACP and, less frequently, the MOPH and NGOs, including Soins Infirmiers Développement Communautaire.

Nearly a third of directors and supervisors say there are no ‘champions’ for action on SRH and HIV integration. Where ‘champions’ were identified, they were the MOPH and NACP.

• More HIV/VCT directors and supervisors (61.1 per cent) reported having a multisectoral technical group working on linkages compared to SRH directors and supervisors (24.1 per cent).
• Significant differences were seen in relation to civil society. Over half (54.4 per cent) of SRH centres’ directors and supervisors – compared to just 16.8 per cent of HIV/ VCT centres directors and supervisors – considered the role of civil society in SRH and HIV programming to be very limited. 31 per cent of SRH directors and supervisors– compared to 76.5 per cent of HIV/VCT directors and supervisors– report the involvement of groups of civil society (including youth, PLHIV and key populations).

National Aids Control Program.

The HIV epidemic was introduced to Lebanon in 1984, with the 1st diagnosed AIDS case. Since then, the number of cases have been slowly but steadily rising which led the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) to establish the National AIDS Control Program (NAP) in 1989. The NAP’s main aim is to limit the HIV and AIDS epidemic, gather statistics on reported cases of HIV/AIDS coordinate with NGOs ministries, media, religious leaders, UN agencies and other key stakeholders and improve the situation of people living with HIV and limit its spread in Lebanon.
In 2018 (till November) 160 new cases of HIV/AIDS have been reported to the National AIDS Program (NAP) in Lebanon.
Distribution of cases by age shows that the higher number of reported cases is in the age group 30-49 years old (49.4%).
Gender distribution shows that 94.4% of the newly reported cases are among males compared to 5.6% for females. However global gender distribution of AIDS cases in the world is around 50%. Low AIDS cases rates among women could help limit the spread of the disease in Lebanon.
The major mode of HIV transmission is by sexual relations (98.8%). Of the total infections by sexual transmission the highest rate is among men who have sex with men 76.9 % and 9.3% non-specified which raises the question of under reporting due to fears of stigma and discrimination. The vertical transmission (mother to child) is 0.6%.
Data on high risk groups (intravenous drug users, sex workers, prisoners), is incomplete. Data on HIV/AIDS death is unavailable.
Blood safety is well controlled in the country. No new cases of HIV infections through blood transfused in Lebanon have been reported since 1993.
Antiretroviral treatment (ARV) is provided by the Ministry of Public Health free of charge.
By the end of November 2018, the cumulative total of HIV/AIDS cases reached 2366 . .

Treatment

There is no current cure for HIV, but effective HIV treatments (antiretroviral therapy) have been developed that block HIV replication, preventing immune damage and HIV-related illness. According to the latest WHO recommendations “Treat All”, treatment begin immediately after diagnosis, and once begun it needs to be maintained throughout a person’s life.
People living with HIV typically require Triple combination therapy of ART (Anti-Retroviral Therapy) which is usually prescribed by an infectious Disease Specialist Physician.
Antiretroviral Treatment is provided by the Ministry of Public Health(MOPH) free of charge to Lebanese citizens and Palestinian refugees. Currently the MOPH is covering with ART all Syrian refugees registered with UNHCR as well as some refugees from other nationalities. People living with HIV who will start ART (regardless of their CD4 count as per the WHO and national guidelines) need to consult their Infectious Disease physician and do the required blood tests, have a MOPH request form for ART filled by their physician and present it along with all required documents for approval at the MOPH at Bir Hassan. Once they got the approval, they can come to present their papers and pick their medications at the National AIDS Program Dispensing Center at Karantina (Tel: 961-1-566100/101/ [email protected])
(See list of ART medications available at Karantina Dispensing center)

Care and Support

Getting infected with HIV is no longer a death sentence. People living with HIV can live a normal life if they take their medication regularly and follow their Care giver’s instructions. HIV/AIDS is now considered as a chronic disease. There are more than 36.98 million people living with HIV around the globe by end of 2017 according to UNAIDS- so you are not alone.
Talking to a close friend, parent, counselor, VCT specialist can help to explore all your feelings about having HIV. Furthermore, you must visit an infectious disease specialist doctor who will inform you about your treatment options, talk to you about safety precautions, and help you find somebody to talk to about your feelings.
NGOs are primarily founded by and for people living with HIV Their aim is to enhance the lives of those who are affected directly and indirectly by the HIV, provide social support, focus groups, peer to peer education, and a friendly atmosphere devoid of stigma and discrimination. It is important to encourage people living with HIV to express their feelings, frustrations and demands but it is also essential to let them know their rights and obligations towards themselves and their community
A number of NGOs are primarily founded by and for people living with HIV AIDS. And their aim is to enhance the lives of those who are affected directly and indirectly by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, provide social support, focus groups, peer to peer education, and a friendly atmosphere devoid of stigma and discrimination. It is important to encourage people living with HIV AIDS to express their feelings, frustrations and demands but it is also essential to let them know their rights and obligations towards themselves and their community. Some of these NGOs include Vivre Positif and Think Positive (See list of NGOs under VCTs.

Al Zahraa Hospital University Medical Center OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY DEPARTMENT

The Obstetrics and Gynecology Division (OBGYN) at ZHUMC has a diverse team of physicians, surgeons, residents, certified midwives and dedicated nurses. At ZHUMC OBGYN, we coordinate an individualized treatment plan for our patients, with thorough evaluation using latest diagnostic technologies.

Our OBGYN team provides support and medical care for a lifelong journey, from childbearing age to menopause and beyond. Our team is ready to answer your concerns for all issues affecting women’s lives. We treat medical cases related to infertility, incontinence, benign and malignant gynecologic problems, menopause and many others.

• Obstetrics programs dedicated to providing women and babies with expert prenatal labor and delivery, and postpartum care. 
• General gynecology, with expertise in providing treatments and therapies for contraceptive management, preconception counseling, fertility concerns, and the complete spectrum of gynecologic issues. 
• Minimally invasive surgery center (operative hysteroscopy and laparoscopy) dedicated to providing individualized and minimally invasive surgery options to diagnose and treat a full range of gynecologic conditions. It also works towards improving our patients’ quality of life, as they are significantly associated with less blood loss during surgery, less scarring, less postoperative pain and faster recovery. 

IUL agreement with ZHUMC

Therefore, strategies are developed at IUL for promoting free reproductive and sexual health access with a special attention to ethical factors, Islamic boundaries and limitations by providing the required services in scientifically appropriate facilities: 

Because, Reproductive and Sexual integration curricula programs are obligatory paid course for only Faculty of Health Nursing students that equip them with knowledge & skills related to reproductive system and sexual health care issues. (Nursing LMD program, Page: 2, Semester III, ID course: NLNC301)

Consequently, Free access for all vulnerable population at IUL community regarding sexuality information and education is supported and ensured by attending free medical advices and consultations visit to Gynecology clinics in case of  any sexual  or reproductive problems. IUL is considered a Referral Institution to The Supreme Islamic Shiite Council that authorized to treat all IUl staff and students at Al-Zahraa Hospital which is a one of the Council institutions.

 

The Lebanese Committee of National Social Security
Regarding Sexual & Reproductive Medical Coverage, all IUL Students benefit from medical appointments and treatment from The Lebanese Committee of National Social Security that ensures safety and wellbeing for whole in case of sexual disorders and other clinical situations. This insurance is funded totally and supported by the university only if the student is officially registered in the university.(CNNSlawnumber14.Page1)