Libya Country Brief
Community Health: Policy and Implementation Landscape Mapping in the Middle East and North Africa Region 2024
Highlights
Country Context
Libya, also known as the State of Libya, is a country in North Africa with a total population of 6.47 million. Current per capita expenditure on health is US$171. Libya's government is in transition. A provisional government, the Government of Libyan National Unity, was established in 2021 following the peace process in 2020. Formal elections have been delayed due to ongoing political differences and insecurity.
The administrative system in the country is centralized, although efforts are being made to decentralize services. In terms of local government, the country is divided into 101 municipalities. Each municipality has a functional council with directorates responsible for implementation and monitoring of health, education, economy, and other sectors.
Overview of Community Health
Following the conflicts in 2011 and 2014, the health care system in the country became fragmented and there was a deterioration in service delivery due to constraints in technical capacity and limited funding. Despite the peace process in 2020, Libya continues to face an unstable security situation and political landscape, which negatively impacts health service provision, including for community health.
While the government recognizes the importance of community health, there is no current framework for community health at the national level or integration of services. Community health service delivery models are largely based on non-governmental organization (NGO) interventions and priorities and are characterized by vertical programmes with limited sustainability.
