WHO in Syria
WHO-supported deworming campaign reaches millions of children in Syria
Reflection of Michael Atieh, WHO Syrian Arab Republic country office staff member 8 April 2021 - Children go running around playing with each other daily without a worry in mind. They play in the sand, dirt, mud and wherever else their imaginative young minds take them. However, consequences arise when improper sanitation is part of a child’s...
World Health Day address by WHO Representative to Syria
WHO Representative Dr Akjemal Magtymova7 April 2021 – The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated us all. However, the harshest impact has been on people already experiencing inequities because of poverty, gender, ethnicity, education, occupation, migrant status, disability, and discrimination. In conflict-hit Syria, people are disproportionately vulnerable...
Update on COVID-19 vaccination in Syria, 29 March 2021
29 March 2021 – On 25 March 2021, the COVAX Facility informed that deliveries of doses from the Serum Institute of India (SII) to Syria, including northwest Syria, will be delayed in March and April, and that the closest delivery date may be in May 2021. Delays in securing supplies of SII-produced COVID-19 vaccine doses to Syria as well as to...
Remarks of the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean for the Brussels Syria side event
24 March 2021 – A few months ago, I visited Damascus, Homs and Hama, witnessing firsthand the devastating impact of the decade-long conflict and the resulting humanitarian crisis, now worsened by COVID-19. While there, I met frontline workers who continue to brave dangerous working conditions to save lives. I spoke to parents desperate for a better...
Update on COVID-19 vaccination in Syria, 14 June 2021
1. Vaccination rollout in Syria Syria received the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines (256,800 doses of AstraZeneca SII COVIDSHILD) on 21 April 2021, which were delivered as part of COVAX mechanism. 203 000 doses were allocated for Syrian governorates, including northeast Syria and 53 800 were allocated through Gaziantep to target populations in...
Statement by WHO's Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean on the 10th year of the Syria crisis
16 March 2021 – Exactly 10 years after the conflict in Syria began, new challenges have emerged, perpetuating the suffering of Syrian people already exhausted by the ongoing conflict, violence, political fragility, and the burden of unmet socioeconomic needs. COVID-19 and the regional economic crisis have brought further devastation to...
WHO and the Government of Japan strengthen health services in north-east Syria
9 February, Damascus, Syria – WHO Syria and the Government of Japan sealed a strategic agreement to rehabilitate and renovate the Al-Qamishli National Hospital in Al-Hassakeh Governorate of Syria. By signing the agreement, the Government of Japan has demonstrated its continuous commitment to reviving the Syrian health system fatigued by the...
WHO addresses health inequities in Syria and ensures improved access to health care for all
27 January 2021 – The raging war in Syria has taken its toll on the country, its citizens and infrastructure. During the decade-long crisis a lot of health facilities endured destruction. According to the WHO Health Resources and Services Availability Monitoring System (HeRAMS) for September 2020, about 51% of Syria’s hospitals as well as 52% of...
WHO addresses core capacities to ensure a better COVID-19 response
22 December 2020, Damascus, Syria – Dr Akjemal Magtymova, WHO Representative in Syria, along with Dr Ahmad Khleifawi, Syrian Deputy Minister of Health, chaired a meeting for national and international health sector partners to review the findings of the recent Intra-Action Review (IAR) meeting, improve the current strategies and strengthen the...
WHO Regional Director's statement on his mission to Syria
8 November 2020 – I recently returned from a 4-day mission to Syria, where I met with officials at all levels, health workers, partners, academia, and others to learn more about the overall health situation, find new ways of working together to strengthen service delivery, protect Syrians from current threats, and help strengthen the devastated...
