From right to left: representative from WHO, Director-General of the Ministry of Public Health, Minister of Public Health, representative from the European Union and President of the Lebanese Society of Pediatrics17 December 2015, Beirut, Lebanon – The Ministry of Public Health launched the child health record and child health recommendations booklet with the support of the World Health Organization. The event was attended by representatives from UNICEF, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the European Union, syndicates and universities.

Primary health care centres in Lebanon, especially in refugee concentrated areas, are facing an increased workload and the current influx of Syrian refugees is putting pressure on scarce resources. The shortage is seen in many medical booklets and files, especially child health records.

The child health record allows the physician to record updates on the child’s health, illnesses, injuries, growth and development. It contains valuable health information that parents and/or children would need throughout their life. The current child health record required revision and updating, and a need for an educational booklet containing health-related recommendations for parents was noticed.

Technical revision of the record and development of the booklet have been done by the Ministry of Public Health, in cooperation with the Lebanese Society of Pediatrics with the support of WHO. Design and printing of the record and the booklet were done by WHO under the EU-IfS fund. 100 000 copies of the child health record and 100 000 copies of the child health recommendations booklet were printed and delivered to the Ministry.

The child health records and child health recommendations booklets will be distributed by the Ministry to all hospitals, medical centres and midwives around Lebanon.