Maya in 2012. She was 10 years old when she started cancer treatment. Photo credit: BASMA23 July 2024 – In Syria, childhood cancer is ranked third among the leading causes of death in the country. Damascus and its suburbs are the main areas where cancer treatment is offered, putting huge pressure on hospitals here to admit children from across Syria. Despite the ever-shrinking availability of cancer services across the country, a network of dedicated organizations and health workers continue to strive to provide life-saving care.

Maya, a young cancer survivor, shares her story, which reflects her patience, strength and an unbreakable spirit of hope.

Maya’s story, in her own words

When I was just 10 years old, my brother and I were playing a game of wrestling in our home in As-Sweida, Syria. I felt a lump in my abdomen, but what seemed like normal stomach pain turned out to be something far more serious. The next day, a CT [computed tomography] scan revealed the shocking news: I had cancer. The diagnosis was abdominal sarcoma, specifically a desmoplastic small round cell tumour. This was July 2012, and the start of a challenging journey.

My mother and I went to Al-Biruni University Hospital in the Harasta suburbs outside of Damascus to begin my treatment. By chance, we found the BASMA association on one of the hospital floors where they treat children with cancer. My mother spoke with the doctors, and soon I was admitted into BASMA’s care to start my treatment.

To receive my chemotherapy doses, my mother and I had to travel each time from As-Sweida back to the hospital in Harasta. This journey was terrifying – the road was deadly, filled with bombings and snipers. But I had no choice, I couldn’t give up.

My treatment was complex. I had surgery for my chemotherapy to be given through a port because my arteries had hardened. The pain of each dose was immense, like a fire burning inside me. Isolation became my new reality as my immune system weakened, and I was cut off from the world and school. Every time I visited the hospital, I would see other children battling their own challenges. I often wondered why I had survived and what purpose my life now held.

The year 2015 marked one of the most beautiful moments of my life – 3 years after this journey began, I learned I was in remission. My condition improved.

There was, however, a heavy cost. Because of the cancer treatment, I can never be a mother. This reality is painful, but I have decided to remain strong.

Today, at 24 years old, I look back on that time with gratitude. I graduated from the faculty of business administration with a score of 99% and I am now in my second year of studying media. My ambitions are boundless. I speak at TEDx, volunteer with BASMA and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, and cherish my Syrian heritage.

WHO’s ongoing support to BASMA

Maya in 2024. With her cancer in remission since 2015, her ambitions are boundless. Photo credit: WHO/WHO SyriaIn 2024, WHO’s support to BASMA aims to provide comprehensive care for children with cancer, like Maya, and encompasses both medical and psychosocial aspects. The initiative emphasizes the importance of holistic support: the social, psychological, spiritual and functional dimensions are crucial during the treatment process, and upon recovery, while patients face a gradual return to daily life.

In the past 5 years, with generous donations from Japan and Kuwait, WHO has provided BASMA with advanced diagnostic medical equipment to enhance cancer treatment. This support includes 2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines and 2 safety cabinets, 30 chemotherapy beds, anaesthesia machines, a spectrophotometer for chemistry tests, a haematology analyser, and a flow cytometer for treatment follow-up.

These contributions have significantly strengthened BASMA’s capacity, enabling the association to double the number of children it is able to admit annually.

WHO and BASMA are working to scale up this initiative over the years to come, to ensure that all children with cancer in Syria can access life-saving care, wherever they live.

Three-year-old Saif after completing treatment for severe acute malnutrition at the WHO-supported Al-Hikmah Hospital. Photo credit: WHO Syria
22 July 2024 –More than 13 years of ongoing crisis in Syria have forced thousands of families to flee their homes. Many have lost their properties and their livelihoods, making it difficult to afford basic life necessities, including food, safe water, and health care. In 2023, 4.8% of children aged under 5 years in Syria suffered from malnutrition – nearly triple the rate reported just 4 years previously, in 2019.

Three-year-old Saif, from Al-Hasakeh governorate, arrived at the WHO-supported nutrition stabilization centre at Al-Hikmah Hospital weighing just 3.9 kg. As well as suffering from severe acute malnutrition, he had pneumonia. Luckily, Saif was seen by a doctor in the village who had received training on the WHO protocol for nutrition surveillance. He recognized the urgency of Saif’s condition and initiated the process for his immediate referral to the stabilization centre.

Saif’s treatment included receiving the therapeutic milks F75 and F100 for his initial stabilization and nutritional rehabilitation respectively. At the same time, he received care for his pulmonary infection. “Seeing my little child so weak broke my heart. I felt helpless, but once we arrived at Al-Hikmah Hospital, I regained hope. Now, watching him smile and play, I know we are on the right path,” says Saif’s mother.

After 13 days of dedicated care, Saif’s health improved significantly. He gained weight, reaching 5 kg, and his smile and healthy cheeks returned. He was then referred to a community-based management of acute malnutrition centre for ongoing outpatient care.

Thanks to the Syria Humanitarian Fund, WHO has fully supported the malnutrition department at Al-Hikmah Hospital by providing therapeutic liquids and covering the full costs of treatment for all forms of malnutrition. WHO is also focused on ensuring the early detection of malnutrition among children like Saif. To date, 983 health centres across Syria have been equipped and trained to take part in the nutrition surveillance programme. Together, they have offered 1 million services and detected about 27,000 malnutrition annually.

With the Fund’s generous donation, 23 WHO-supported stabilization centres provided health care to 2004 patients with severe acute malnutrition with medical complications in 2023, compared with 1672 patients in 2022.

In addition, from 2014 to today, over 3,000 health workers have been trained in nutrition surveillance. A further 400 doctors received specialized training in the treatment of severe acute malnutrition with medical complications. These cadres are now better prepared than ever to tackle malnutrition, ensuring that every child receives the best possible care.

Saif’s story is just one of thousands to spring from the countrywide efforts to prevent and manage acute malnutrition. WHO works closely with all health partners to expand the reach of nutrition programmes and strengthen the provision of health care to ensure that no one is left behind.

Batoul during one of the physical therapy sessions at Jad Charitable Society. Photo credit: Jad Charitable Society.

18 July 2024 – Syria’s crisis of more than 13 years has particularly affected the most vulnerable – including women, children and elderly people. Just one of the many stories of adversity belongs to Batoul, a 5-year-old girl from Idlib governorate. Her family had to leave their home in Idlib because of the ongoing conflict. They now live in the Al-Malaab area, in southern Hama.

Life was already tough, and illness made it even harder. Six months before Batoul was born, her 65-year-old father, Ahmed, began to show symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, which affected his ability to work. To add to the family’s challenges, when Batoul was just 8 months old, she was diagnosed with a meningeal cyst on her spinal cord, which left her unable to walk.

Batoul remained untreated until she was 4 years old because her family was unable to afford the treatment. Then her mother learned from a neighbour about a WHO-supported health project with Jad Charitable Society. The nongovernmental organization’s medical team quickly reviewed Batoul’s case and arranged for the necessary surgery – free of charge.

The operation was successful, and for the first time in her life, Batoul was able to walk. This milestone transformed her physical abilities and restored her spirit, allowing her to start interacting and playing with her peers.

“Seeing my only child take her first steps felt like a miracle. It gave us hope amid our hardships,” says Reem, Batoul’s mother.

As well as medical treatment, Batoul has been receiving physical therapy and taking part in psychological support sessions at Jad Charitable Society, to ensure her overall well-being. She’s getting stronger every day, and her smile is brighter than ever. She’s counting down the days until she gets to wear a backpack and start school next year.

Thanks to a generous donation from the Syria Humanitarian Fund, WHO was able to support Jad Charitable Society in providing integrated health services to the most vulnerable groups in Hama and nearby rural areas. Launched in 2023, the one-year project provided 48 867 health-related services, including trauma care, surgeries, mental health support, physical therapy, assistive devices, and primary health care.

Batoul’s story of ultimately overcoming adversity is a reminder of the importance of continuing to support vulnerable populations. Ensuring that everyone receives the health care they need can let them overcome challenges and look forward to a brighter future.

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.