WHO in collaboration with the ministry of health conducted a workshop on the Early Warning Alert and Response System (EWARS) to involve the health points of shelters for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in different governorates in the EWARS programme, from 15 to 17 September 2013

The main objectives of the workshop were to expand the EWARS and to improve knowledge and skills on rapid response for diseases reported under the EWARS programme for physicians in the health points serving the shelters.

The workshop was attended by 43 participants from Damascus, Rural Damascus and Al Quneitra.

As a result of the workshop, health points for IDP shelters became part of the system and will report directly to the EWARS programme starting from November 2013.