The contract between WHO Egypt and the secretariat of Specialized Medical Centres has been renewed until June 2015, allowing continuity of provision of secondary and tertiary health services to Syrian refugees21 May 2015 – The World Health Organization’s Country Office, Egypt, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Population of Egypt, recently hosted a one-day fun-filled health advocacy event for Syrian refugees living in Greater Cairo, East Cairo and Qalyubia governorates. This event aimed to increase awareness of health care services available to Syrian refugees and to create an interface and forum for dialogue between health care providers and the Syrian community.
The event attracted around 200 adults and 300 children with representatives from organizations such as Médecins Sans Frontières, St Andrew’s Refugee Services, Psychosocial Training Institute, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees and United Nations Population Fund joining in the discussion and fun. Health topics addressed included vaccination of children, reproductive health, maternal and newborn care, mental health and psychosocial support, trauma and surgical care, and chronic disease treatment. Referral procedures for secondary and tertiary patient care were explained, as well as financial and social support available to registered Syrian refugees.
“It is very important that we keep engaging Egypt’s Syrian communities on health-related matters and continue to provide health education,” said Dr Gasser El Kareem, technical health officer for WHO.
“Increasing awareness on the importance of health and the measures to maintain and protect it, as well as providing information on free health care services availability and accessibility is vital in reducing overall morbidity and mortality among the refugee population,” he added.
300 children enjoyed activities organized as part of the eventThe event was held at Plaza Sporting Club, Oboor City, Qalyubia. It included a lunch and a kids’ corner entertainment, complete with volunteer-run games and music. This event was supported by the Government of Kuwait.
“We had a great turn-out on the day,” Dr El Kareem said. “I believe the event was both informative and entertaining for the families,” he added.
More than 134 000 Syrian refugees currently reside in Egypt, representing around 4% of the total number in the region. The Syrian refugee population within Egypt is largely urbanized and predominantly integrated within the host communities of Cairo, Qalyubia, Giza, Alexandria, Sharkia and Damietta governorates. Major health conditions presented among the Syrian refugee population in Egypt include cardiovascular diseases, respiratory infections, cancer and diabetes, in addition to a considerable need for other medical emergencies that need hospitalization.
WHO continues to support the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population in boosting the level of health care services available to Syrian refugees, via technical capacity training and coordination support to the Ministry. The WHO Egypt team plays a major role in the leadership function among health partners active in the response. As a result of its continuous and direct communication with the Syrian refugee community, WHO in Egypt, succeeds in acting as information pool for partners and decision-makers, providing them with vital data about the health gaps and needs for Syrian refugees, filling a critical gap by providing secondary and tertiary health care services for life-threatening and emergency conditions for Syrian refugees.