A beneficiary of the project receives health services at Al-Qamishli National Hospital. Photo credit: WHO/WHO Syria
16 July 2024, Syria – WHO proudly announces the official handover of key units in Al- Qamishli National Hospital, north-east Syria, to the Ministry of Health. This follows their rehabilitation as part of the Project for Strengthening Health Care Services. This initiative, supported by the people of Japan, aims to improve the resilience and sustainability of health facilities in Syria.

During the one-year rehabilitation project, the main focus was to rehabilitate the burns care, intensive care, emergency, dialysis, and medical imaging units of Al-Qamishli National Hospital. Outdated medical equipment was also upgraded to better serve the community.

Amid a deepening health crisis in the region, the reopening of the units marks an important milestone in delivering essential medical assistance to the community. Local people have been increasingly affected by the ongoing crisis and the lack of access to health care.

Al-Qamishli National Hospital is one of 16 public hospitals in north-east Syria, most of which are either partially functional or out of service. The two-storey complex has a 200-bed capacity and functions as the main referral hospital in the area. Overburdened since the start of the crisis in Syria, it required major rehabilitation. Prior to the project, the hospital served an estimated 200 000 patients a year. This number is expected to increase following the improvements.

As Dr Iman Shankiti, WHO Representative to Syria, thanked the people of Japan for their partnership and highlighted the project’s broader impact on north-east Syria’s health system: “This project represents a major achievement in our ongoing efforts to improve access to advanced medical care services, particularly in underserved areas. We will be able to provide better health services and improve the lives of thousands in north-east Syria.”

Mr Adam Abdelmoula, United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, echoed her sentiments and added, “It is imperative that the services in this hospital are made accessible to all people living in Al-Hassakeh governorate and the surrounding areas.”

The relaunch of Al-Qamishli National Hospital comes at a critical time. The health system in north-east Syria must contend with significant challenges, including instability, leading to shortages of medical supplies, health workers and functional infrastructure.

Through the project, various items of medical equipment were procured and distributed to the hospital to improve its diagnostic capabilities. This equipment includes a computed tomography (CT) scanner, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine, colour Doppler ultrasound scanner cardiac diagnostic machine, C-arm machine, X-ray unit for the operating theatre and a mobile digital radiographic X-ray unit.

Further, the fully renovated dialysis unit now features 6 new dialysis machines and a water treatment station. Moreover, the hospital’s 3 laboratories – for the emergency department and outpatient clinics, and the central laboratory – have received new equipment to enhance diagnostic services.

9 June 2024, Cairo/Damascus -- The World Health Organization (WHO) is deeply concerned about the health situation in Al Hol Camp in Al-Hasakeh, Northeast Syria. Today marks one month since WHO’s field staff were denied access to the camp by the Camp Administration. This reportedly follows WHO’s decision to suspend hospital referrals for displaced people in the camp due to funding shortages.

Despite using all available channels of communication Camp Administration and relevant authorities, including persistent advocacy efforts through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), donors and Member States. However, the Organization’s access has not been restored.

The resulting situation directly endangers the lives and well-being of the vulnerable camp population and potentially exposes them to severe public health risks, including disease outbreaks which may increase during warmer months.

WHO reiterates its commitment to vulnerable populations. The Organization is maintaining its efforts to mobilize resources and restore critical services to the camp, including working with donors who are actively seeking to close the funding gap.

WHO’s humanitarian health activities in Al Hol camp extend beyond hospital referrals. Its services include health sector coordination, routine immunization, risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), water quality monitoring, disease surveillance and early warning, delivery of medical supplies, technical health expertise, and capacity building for health workers.

WHO urgently calls on its partners and the international community to support and advocate with relevant stakeholders in Northeast Syria to immediately restore WHO’s access to Al Hol camp. Unconditional access is essential for WHO to deliver on its public health mandate and mitigate the significant health risks in this already vulnerable setting.

Om Yousef attends a quit smoking session at the WHO-supported tobacco cessation clinic, Zoher Hubi primary health care centre. Photo credit: WHO/WHO Syria9 June 2024, Damascus, Syria – Forty-year-old Om Yousef is originally from Daraa governorate in southern Syria. She and her husband and 2 children fled to the governorate of Rural Damascus from her hometown in 2013, because of the escalating conflict.

“We lost everything – our home; my husband’s barber shop, the only source of income for our family. I felt even my dreams had faded. It was a mix of feelings that can’t be expressed,” says Om Yousef. “To escape, we started smoking. We did not know that it was a trap. We were stuck in a neverending circle, going from nonsmokers to smoking 20 cigarettes a day.”

Tragically, Om Yousef’s husband had a heart attack in 2023 and died aged 45 years. The doctors confirmed that his heart attack was caused by heavy smoking. This was a wake-up call for Om Yousef.

“My children need me,” she says. “My 7-year-old son Yousef does not believe that his father has passed away. He still tells people that his father will come back one day.”

During Om Yousef’s visit to the Zoher Hubi primary health care centre with her son for his regular vaccination, an awareness session on how to quit smoking was going on. Through this, she learned that the centre has its own tobacco cessation clinic. She enrolled in its programme and attended weekly sessions in person. Now, after 8 months, she has quit smoking.

Dr Fathia Mohammad, head of the tobacco cessation clinic, said: “With WHO support, we started the clinic in 2021. We have biweekly awareness sessions about the harms of smoking and offer free tobacco cessation services to all beneficiaries.”

“It was not an easy decision to take, but I did it. It is a life change. I feel healthier, I am alive again,” shared Om Yousef, speaking about her decision to quit smoking.

WHO, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, has made notable progress in tobacco control. During the past 4 years WHO has helped set up 39 tobacco cessation clinics across 11 Syrian governorates: Damascus (6 clinics), Aleppo (5), Latakia (5), Rural Damascus (5), Tartous (5), Hama (3), Daraa (2), Deir ez-Zor (2), Homs (2), Quneitra (2) and Sweida (2). These clinics provided consultations to about 5000 people in 2023.

In 2023, WHO’s Tobacco Control Programme also trained 50 health professionals in total – from one public hospital in Damascus and another in Rural Damascus – on tobacco cessation programmes.

In line with the World No Tobacco Day 2024 theme, “Youth Step In and Speak Out”, the Ministry of Health has also launched smoke-free initiatives targeting schools, universities and households. WHO is providing support and educational materials to raise awareness among these communities about the adverse effects of smoking.

21 May 2024 – On the side of the Brussels VIII conference and amidst the backdrop of ongoing crises, join us for a pivotal event addressing the pressing health needs in the Syrian Arab Republic.

Despite relentless efforts, Syria’s health system remains strained, grappling with the aftermath of prolonged conflict, compounded by outbreaks of measles, cholera, and the devastating impact of the February 2023 earthquake. With over 14.9 million people requiring urgent humanitarian health assistance in 2024, the situation demands immediate attention.

However, amidst these escalating needs, funding for humanitarian health services has seen a concerning decline. Without continued support, essential services for emergency and trauma care, mental health, non-communicable diseases, and reproductive health for more than 6 million people, including 1.5 million in north-west Syria, hang in jeopardy.

Imagine over 500,000 pregnant women left without access to ante-natal care and safe deliveries, or 8,000 patients with kidney failure unable to access life-saving treatment. This is the stark reality faced by Syrians every day. Patients and healthcare workers confront major shortages and disruptions in essential medicines, supplies, and equipment, particularly for chronic diseases, trauma, and mental health conditions, amplifying the challenges of an already strained healthcare system.

Our event brings together esteemed panelists to delve into these complex health challenges plaguing Syria amidst increasing hardships and deprivation. We'll identify the most vulnerable populations affected by this multitude of threats and outline the measures and support required to ensure they are not left behind.

Register here: https://who.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uuqP_NTsSXmxHLqnCIGShQ#/registration