BEIRUT — As Lebanon experiences the most extensive economic and financial crises in its history, cancer patients find themselves in an unbearable situation where lifesaving medicine is becoming too expensive or is not available on the market. This is the case for Rima, a 51-year-old nurse diagnosed with stage 4 advanced breast cancer who is in constant search of the necessary medication for her treatment.

“With the shortage of medicine, I have already missed many doses, which have forced me to postpone several of my chemotherapy sessions,” she told Al-Monitor.

“Having to find my medication every two weeks adds even more stress to what I am going through. If I can't find more boxes, I simply won't be able to continue my treatment and I will have to suffer the consequences of it. The future is scary, and I am afraid of what will happen next,” she said.

While Lebanon imports more than 95% of the pharmaceuticals available in the local market due to its low pharmaceutical production, the country's financial crisis — which resulted in a dollar shortage — has significantly reduced its capacity to import medicines.