Highlights & Selected Articles

• Environment (16/50 articles) provided updates regarding the construction of a cement factory at Ain Dara, Mount Lebanon.  Lebanese businessman, Pierre Fattoush, vowed to continue plans despite the controversy surrounding the project. This section also shed light on a series of events to mark “Earth Hour”, an annual event that highlights global warming caused by the burning of coal, oil, gas and other substances, among other articles.
• Food Safety (7/50 articles) informed about the Minister of Public Health, Ghassan Hasbani, calling on Minister of Agriculture, Ghazi Zeaiter, to take “strict measures” with meat imported from Brazil. Brazilian federal police raided some of the country’s largest food corporations following accusations that employees had bribed inspectors to allow meat contaminated with salmonella to be exported to Europe and tainted meat to be served at public schools.
• Refugees (4/50 articles) reported on a newly created website entitled “Forgotten Refugees” (http://mansiyoun.net/) that is dedicated to tell stories about refugees, among other issues.

• Road Safety (3/50 articles) reported on the traffic law which was implemented in April, 2015. One article highlighted the issue of CTV cameras in Lebanon. The person responsible for the Traffic Management Center responsible, Mr. Jean Dabaghi, explained that those cameras are for security purposes, and not for traffic violation purposes.
• Ministry of Public Health (3/50 articles) informed about Minister, Ghassan Hasbani, who attended a surgery to treat epilepsy at Saint George Hospital, Ashrafieh, among other activities and statements.
• Child Marriage (3/50 articles) mainly reported on a draft law which aims to establish the legal age of marriage in Lebanon. The draft law will be presented to Cabinet during the week of April 3, 2017, following a workshop on the prevention of child marriage previously held at Parliament.
• Other (6/50 articles) compiled different public health articles among them, the European Union donating $62 Million for supporting primary health care in Lebanon. One infographic highlighted evidence from K2P about early initiation of alcohol among youth, among other health-related articles.

• Tobacco Related (2/50 articles) reported on the state-run tobacco agency, Regie, which increased the prices of tobacco in the aim of controlling the market and protecting state revenues. 
• Patient Safety (2/50 articles) covered the death of Awatef Ghannoum, a mother who could not be admitted to a hospital, due to the lack of beds. Before her death, her daughter pleaded with the Minister of Public Health, Ghassan Hasbani to treat her mother. An article states that Ghannoum was admitted to Bchamoun Hospital then treated at Al Zahraa hospital where she died due to surgical infection reportedly caught at the former hospital.
• Vaccination (1/50 articles) covered the issue of different and expensive prices of vaccines sold in private clinics.
• Sexual Health (1/50 articles) showed one article written by Dr. Faysal El Kak about how sexual and reproductive education started in Lebanon highlighting challenges around it.
• Mental Health (1/50 articles) covered issues regarding the law to regulate the profession of psychology in Lebanon.
• Domestic Worker (1/50 articles) provided updates pertaining to the death of Celine Rakan, a child reportedly murdered by the family maid.