9 July 2021, Damascus – Persons with physical disabilities face many challenges, but even more so in a war-ravaged country like Syria, where a barrier-free environment for people with disabilities is merely not an option. Often physical disability leads to hardship as opportunities for employment are limited. Hanano primary health care (PHC)...

9 July 2021, Damascus – War and insecurity continue to take a toll on the Syrian people. In the decade since the conflict began, many have lost their lives or livelihoods and most of the country’s population suffers from one health condition or another, for which service provision is limited. Among those with dire health needs are children, born in a...

6 July 2021 – Syria received the first batch of vaccines supplied through the COVAX initiative on 21 April 2021. In total, 256 800 doses of AstraZeneca SII COVIDSHILD were received and distributed to Government-controlled areas and northeast Syria, as well as to northwest Syria.  The vaccination campaign in Syria started on 17 May 2021. Of total...

29 June 2021 – 17 500 of the 203 000 COVID-19 vaccine doses delivered to Syria thus far through the COVAX Facility were sent to northeast Syria as part of the country’s national immunization programme. The vaccines were airlifted from Damascus to Quamishli. Around 13 320 doses were allocated for use in the governorate of Al-Hasakeh and 4180 for...

27 June 2021, Damascus – More than 30 representatives from key Syrian national media outlets took part in an information session organized by the Syrian Ministry of Health and the WHO country office in Syria to address rumours and misinformation and increase public acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines.  “Fighting the pandemic and misinformation...

On 22 April 2021, Syria received the first batch of 256,800 doses of COVID-19 vaccines facilitated through COVAX. This vaccine delivery (AstraZeneca vaccines from the Serum Institute of India, AZ SII) will be distributed to frontline health workers across Syria, including the northeast and northwest. The COVID-19 vaccines were delivered through two...

10 May 2021, Damascus – In responding to the humanitarian needs of affected populations and to enhance the quality of health care in Syria, the World Health Organization delivered 40 equipped ambulances to the Ministry of Health yesterday. Since the onset of the crisis, two thirds of the ambulances in Syria have been destroyed, which has impeded...

DAMASCUS, 22 April 2021 – 203 000 doses of the Astra Zeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute of India arrived in Damascus today through the COVAX Facility. This first batch of the vaccines will be allocated to frontline health workers, including health workers in northeast Syria. Simultaneously, a separate batch of 53 800 doses of Astra Zeneca...

18 April 2021 - In Syria, approximately one in 10 people is expected to be living with a mild to moderate mental health condition, while 1 in 30 is likely to suffer from a more severe condition. Prolonged exposure to conflict increased the prevalence of mental health conditions. COVID-19 has added more strain to the mental wellbeing of families...

9 April 2021 - Amidst a decade-long conflict, economic crisis and political upheaval, WHO continues to support strengthening public health programmes and implementation of immunization activities, national polio vaccination campaigns and surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis. In the middle of March 2021, a national polio immunization campaign...