Damascus, 2 August 2022 – Italy has contributed 2 million euros to the World Health Organization to support efforts to vaccinate 40% of the targeted population in Syria by the end of 2022.

A number of interventions have so far been implemented at the national level to accelerate COVID-19 vaccination in Syria, including national vaccination campaigns in May and June 2022. During these two campaigns, the Ministry of Health mobilized over 6000 trained health workers to conduct COVID-19 vaccination activities at both fixed health facilities and through mobile medical teams across all governorates of the country.

Despite all these efforts, only 10% of the total population of Syria have received full vaccination. This low coverage is due to high vaccine hesitancy caused by the prolonged and complex crisis coupled with a deteriorating economic situation, both of which have triggered general fatigue among the Syrian population and impeded COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

“Italy recognizes the crucial role of health as an essential engine for the social and economic development of the population. This contribution is in line with the funds made available to WHO in 2020, at the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, for a programme aiming at enhancing the national laboratory diagnostic capacity for timely confirmation of COVID-19, and integrates the distribution of almost 4 million doses of Johnson & Johnson donated by Italy at the beginning of 2022 through the COVAX facility,” said Mr Massimiliano D’Antuono, Chargé d’Affaires of the Italian Embassy in Damascus.

“Thanks to the collaboration with WHO, Italy guarantees its support to the health system, considering particularly the low vaccination rate in Syria against a global increase of positive cases. Therefore, this programme allows us to cover the operational costs to expedite the vaccination process and to reach all locations in Syria, confirming our support to the Syrian population” added Mrs Alessandra Piermattei, Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation for Lebanon and Syria.

The donation of the Italian Cooperation will support the operational costs of two rounds of intensified vaccination activities in all 14 governorates of Syria, including for internally displaced people, refugees and high-risk groups in formal and informal settlements, contributing to increased vaccination rates and reduction of morbidity and mortality caused by COVID-19.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the Syrian health system, already overburdened by the ongoing crisis and the depletion of health professionals and medical supplies,” said Dr Iman Shankiti, WHO Representative a.i. in Syria.

“WHO welcomes this generous funding from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, which will play a pivotal role in supporting the health system to scale-up COVID-19 vaccination coverage in the country and protecting the lives of people on Syria,” Dr Shankiti added.

Earlier in 2022, Italy donated around 4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX facility to boost higher vaccination rates in Syria. This new contribution is an additional milestone towards achieving a more resilient public health system and a healthier tomorrow for the Syrian population.

A WHO-supported mobile clinic provides free-of-charge services to people who suspect they may have TB

Damascus, 7 July 2022 – WHO, the Global Fund and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have been working closely to address HIV and tuberculosis (TB) epidemics under the Middle East Response (MER) project. Through the MER 1 grant, WHO is supporting the Ministry of Health in Syria’s national TB programme with 3 mobile clinics in Aleppo, Rural Damascus and Deir-ez-Zor governorates, as Syria’s protracted crisis has severely affected the health system across the country. 

Each of the WHO-supported mobile clinics – with accompanying doctor, nurse, laboratory technician and driver – is equipped with an X-ray machine capable of sharing high-quality digital images through mobile networks for swift diagnosis. The mobile clinics also contain an electric generator to be deployed in remote areas with severe electricity shortages.  

Samera, a 25-year-old lady from Deir Haffer in Rural Aleppo, had been suffering from weight loss and severe cough for over 2 weeks. During a medical consultation at an Aleppo health care centre, Samera heard about the WHO-supported mobile X-ray clinic that provides health services free-of-charge and visits her village regularly. “Transportation and treatment fees would have overburdened me. Having the mobile clinic in my own village is a tremendous relief,” said Samera, overjoyed.

After her examination and X-ray, the technician sent Samera’s radiology results to an online group of specialized doctors from across the country, including responsible physicians at Al-Masaranieh Specialized Centre, 30 km away. Later, a requested sputum sample was also sent for diagnosis at Al-Masaranieh laboratory, where the culture was tested with a GeneXpert PCR system to assess drug resistance within mere hours. As mobile clinics transport samples to Al-Masaranieh Centre for analysis, patients are no longer forced to make the journey to public health centres for lab results. Once confirmed as a TB patient, Samera’s treatment was initiated and her care began in her village. “Our area is difficult to access for medical treatment and care. The presence of the mobile clinic was simply life-saving,” she added.

During the last 2 years, 83 119 individuals in Aleppo governorate received the needed health services and key messages about TB – integrated with COVID-19 messages – thanks to the WHO mobile clinic. Of the total population screened, 315 tested positive for TB, accounting for 30% of TB cases in the governorate.  

“Tuberculosis is one of the top 10 causes of mortality worldwide and remains a significant threat to human life among the most vulnerable in Syria. Tackling the disease remains highly challenging in a country where widespread shortages of medicines and displacement interrupt essential lengthy treatments that are needed to prevent the development of drug-resistant TB,” said Dr Iman Shankiti, WHO Representative a.i in Syria. “We highly appreciate our partnerships with the Global Fund and IOM to provide quality health services to all people in need without exposing them to financial hardship, and we will spare no efforts to ensure that everyone everywhere has an equal chance at a healthy life,” Dr Shankiti added.

WHO support extends to building the capacity of health care officers at the national TB programme. In 2021, the national programme and the National Reference Laboratory for TB testing held 15 coordination and capacity-building workshops attended by 390 national TB programme officers from various governorates.

9 June, Damascus - Hamed, a 12-year-old boy from Idleb, Saraqeb, was diagnosed with cancer 3 months ago after getting injured while playing football. 

“It all came out of sudden. I was unintentionally hit by one of my friends while playing at the backyard of my home. I was in so much pain and could not move my leg. My parents took me to the hospital and after one month of tests and X-rays, doctors diagnosed the bone cancer,” shared Hamed. For his young age, Hamed demonstrated maturity, strength and optimism to defeat the disease. 

“I know the journey is long, difficult and full of pain, but in life we experience up and down moments. I will be a winner as I am a fighter and will not give up,” continued Hamed with great confidence and determination and contagious smile.

Hamed is one of hundreds of children receiving treatment at BASMA Pediatric Oncology Unit in Damascus, operated by WHO-supported BASMA Association, the only nongovernmental organization in Syria that treats children with cancer. 

“An opportunity of recovery is the right of every person. The journey is long, yet full of hope. The challenges are increasing similarly to the progress, but we are committed to continue our mission of supporting children,” said Rima Salem, Executive Manager at BASMA Association. “Our responsibility is profound and the cooperation with all our partners enables to find the right path that guarantees continuity of our health services,” shared Rima Salem. 

Acknowledging the importance of psycho-social support during the trying times, Hamed is grateful for a chance to inspire peers to think positively. “Experiencing difficulties can bring families together as you cannot do it alone. My parents and siblings were with me in each step, and we grew strong as a family,” narrated Hamed. “I was able to see many blessings from my experience that helped withstand hard times. I have learnt to reach out to others at the hospital, found a lot of other children who I bonded with. Together we support and encourage each other; you can be the light to someone in need, and they can brighten you on a low day,” added Hamed.

Before the conflict started in Syria, cancer treatment services for children and adults were provided free of charge in public health care facilities. As a direct result of the crisis, many patients’ treatments were severely compromised. Health-related challenges became more complex, and Syria’s fragile health system was repeatedly strained through multiple concurrent emergencies due to ongoing insecurity, the COVID-19 pandemic and the socioeconomic situation that continue affecting the availability, access and quality of health services across the country. Currently, over 12.2 million people inside the country need health assistance, who despite incredible strength and resilience are facing a bleak future and increasingly dire living conditions. 

WHO partnered with the Kuwait Fund for Development who supported the delivery of essential cancer medicines and contributed to alleviating the suffering of hundreds of cancer patients in Syria. The Government of Kuwait has been a significant supporter of WHO programmes in Syria since 2013. In the past 3 years alone, Kuwait’s contribution to WHO Syria has exceeded US$ 10 million to enhance the Organization’s efforts in strengthening the health system, responding to the vital health needs, saving lives and giving a glimmer of hope, including to cancer patients.

“Shortage in medicines has become an acute problem in Syria and concerted efforts are needed to provide life-saving treatment to cancer patients,” said Dr Iman Shankiti, WHO Representative a.i in Syria. “Kuwait has been a long-standing partner of WHO since the beginning of the conflict, providing health services to all people in need at a critical time when public health services were badly disrupted. Now more than ever, Syria needs solidarity and support to recover the cancer treatment services,” Dr Shankiti added.

In Syria, cancers constitute 9% of noncommunicable diseases. The most common cancer types diagnosed in Syria are the breast (21.3%), lung (9.3%), colorectum (8.2%), bladder (7.1%) and prostate (4.9%) cancer. 

WHO in partnership with the National Steering Committee on Cancer Prevention and Control contributes to the hospital-based cancer registry to detect cases and analyse disaggregated data by type of cancer, sex, age and geography. The Organization collaborates with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to assess the national capacity of radiotherapy for cancer cases within the framework of the Integrated Mission Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (imPACT). During 2021, WHO delivered a series of capacity-building workshops attended by cancer registrars, oncologist doctors and radiologists from the Ministries of Health and Higher Education to enhance the capacity of health workers to detect and treat cancer. 

The continuous support of donors and partners allows WHO to provide much needed medicines, equipment and supplies for diagnosis and treatment of cancer so that cancer patients like Hamed could recover and have a fulfilling life.