The basic development needs (BDN) is a process aimed at achieving a better quality of life with the central goal of health for all.  It is an integrated bottom-up socioeconomic development process based on active community involvement, self-management, and self-reliance.  It is a people-oriented strategy that offers vital support to intersectoral collaboration.

Within the Basic Development Needs Programme (BDN), WHO plays a catalytic role in the implementaion of BDN.
It provides assistance to various
community groups in parallel to their
needs. The needs are identified after
a survey is conducted on the community.

There are several steps to follow in the BDN whereby there should be two committees established before the survey is performed. One of the committees is the Village Development Committee (VDC) which includes members of the local community and may be headed by the municipal or the mayor. On the other hand, there is the Technical Support Team which comprises ministries, various UN organizations and other agencies. Then, the survey should be achieved on the community with the assistance of the VDC so that needs will be recognized and prioritized. Accordingly, a project proposal is submitted from the VDC to WHO, whereby a  feasibility study will be executed to assess the capability of its implementation.

There are numerous benefits to the BDN approach.  The strategy directly impacts health by reducing infant morbidity and mortality rates through the education of girls and women.  Healthy lifestyles are promoted by increasing family income, self-care, and provision of basic needs.  Furthermore, the approach constructs effective community organization and mobilization by the following: involving all social groups and families; educating the community and building awareness; bringing about constructive development by consensus; and promoting self-help and self-reliance. Additionally, the financial burden of governments is reduced by contributing to the socioeconomic development of the country with the ultimate goal of alleviating poverty and improving the quality of life.  

The most important challenge for governments is to promote and improve health on the basis of equity and need.  BDN provides the mechanism for meeting this obligation.  It is firmly focused on people and what they feel they need rather than what they are told they need.  The BDN concept promotes the understanding that people can successfully undertake and manage a considerable proportion of their need-based micro-development initiatives. 

Working as a team, via intersectoral collaboration, line departments join hands to achieve a common comprehensive goal—a better quality of life.  Various inputs are integrated rationalizing resources and preventing duplication of effort.  Government provides support at the grass roots level in the spirit of partnership.  Within the BDN approach, structures are decentralized in order to empower the community and establish self-financing and self-sustained development.  Government sectors help people to identify their problems and find relevant solutions for each community by prioritized the basic development needs of health promotion and protection, education, women’s development, sanitation, water supply, communication, food, means of livelihood, and shelter.  

The principal strategies of BDN in Lebanon include building the program’s technical, human and administrative capacities at all levels, developing the model area and introduction of income generating schemes and social development with a special attention to health.

In support of this strategy, BDN was initiated in Akkar, Lebanon. An income-generating project focusing on beeswax recycling was requested and a feasibility study was done. Seed money was in support of the income generating project as an entry point to the area understudy for development. The project is managed by an association of various cooperatives of male and female honeybee farmers benefiting people in six villages of Akkar.  Since its introduction,  BDN program had significantly contributed in mobilizing and organizing the community members at grassroots level to work collectively.

After consideration of the socio-economic status, residing population, existence or non-existence of a municipality, existence of some development projects, needs, population status and recommendations of ministries and other agencies, specific villages were listed for specific field review to attain a better area profile. At the meantime, BDN approach is on-going in Aylat- North, Ain yacoub- Akkar and in Jisine- South.