The impact of Syrian refugees on patient demographics and type 2 diabetes across five public health centers in Lebanon

Abstract

# Background The war in Syria triggered the influx of a large number of refugees into neighboring countries, particularly Lebanon. In 2019, the Syrian population made up 13.33% of the total population in Lebanon. This shift in demographics influenced many sectors in the country, including the healthcare system. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of Syrian refugees on the Lebanese healthcare system across five public health centers (PHCs) and the prevalence of type II diabetes (T2D) in these patients. # Methods Patient data was collected across five PHCs from different regions in Lebanon. Comparisons between Lebanese and Syrian patients were analyzed for demographics, relative number of patients, and prevalence of T2D. # Results We found that the number of patients admitted to PHCs has increased over the last few years, in both Syrian and Lebanese populations, putting more strains on an already threatened sector. In addition, the increase in Lebanese patients is significantly higher after 2015, and it parallels the surge in Syrian immigrants. The prevalence of T2D was found to be increasing over the years among the two populations, with a statistically significant increase in the Lebanese population after 2015. However, the prevalence of T2D was found to be statistically lower than the reported national prevalence in both groups, possibly due to inadequate rates of screening. # Conclusions There has been an increase in admissions to PHCs as well as rates of T2D in Lebanon and in the Syrian population. Inadequate screening could be the reason behind the lower prevalence of T2D in our study compared to the reported national prevalence.