Resilience of STI service delivery in community-based organizations during the 2024 armed conflict: insights from Lebanon.
Clinical Snapshot
PICO Framework
| P — Population | Community-based organizations providing STI services in Lebanon during armed conflict |
| I — Intervention | Adapted STI service delivery models (self-care, telehealth, mobile clinics) |
| C — Comparator | Pre-conflict and post-conflict STI service delivery |
| O — Outcomes | STI service continuity, prevention and early detection activities, service accessibility |
Bottom Line
This editorial highlights critical gaps in STI service delivery during the 2024 Lebanese conflict, demonstrating reduced prevention and early detection activities compared to peacetime. The authors propose adaptive strategies including self-care modalities, expanded telehealth services, and mobile clinic deployment to maintain service continuity. While drawing valuable parallels to COVID-19 service disruptions, the analysis lacks quantitative data and rigorous methodology. The recommendations appear sound but require formal evaluation of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. For Australian clinicians, this work underscores the importance of emergency preparedness planning for sexual health services, particularly for vulnerable populations. The emphasis on community-based organizations and innovative service delivery models may inform approaches to reaching underserved communities in remote or disaster-affected areas.
Key Findings
Effect Size: Not quantified
Primary Outcome: Reductions in STI prevention and early detection activities during conflict compared to pre- and post-conflict periods
Nnt Or Sensitivity: Not applicable - descriptive editorial
Confidence Interval: Not provided
Clinical Application
Proposed interventions (telehealth, mobile clinics, self-care) appear feasible but require resource allocation and training Limited direct applicability to Australian practice, though principles may inform disaster preparedness planning and remote service delivery models supported by Medicare telehealth items Healthcare providers and CBOs operating in conflict-affected areas, particularly those serving key populations at risk for STIs
Abstract
This study explores the potential impact of war on STI services in Lebanon. Programmatic STI service data from Lebanon were analyzed, alongside a targeted review of the literature on conflict-affected settings, using public health databases covering the period 2014-2024. Evidence-based STI service packages for conflict settings remain limited. Drawing insights from the COVID-19 crisis, periods of emergencies are associated with an elevated risk of STI surges among key populations. Programmatic data from the conflict further demonstrated this increased risk, reflected in reductions in prevention and early detection activities compared with pre- and post-conflict periods. Self-care and outreach service packages could be critical in these contexts. Community-based organizations (CBOs) should adapt STI services to the wartime environment and evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions post-conflict. CBOs are encouraged to prioritize the implementation of self-care modalities for STI prevention and early detection, expand the availability of telehealth services, and deploy mobile clinics to maximize service continuity. This editorial analyzes STI service delivery within the specific context of the Lebanese war.
References
- 1.Assi, M., Badran, N., Mallat, F., & Maatouk, I. (2026). Resilience of STI service delivery in community-based organizations during the 2024 armed conflict: insights from Lebanon. Sexual Health. https://doi.org/10.1071/SH25086
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