Photo caption: WHO staff following up with beneficiaries at one of the WHO-supported health centers in rural Aleppo, Syria. Photo credit: @WHO Syria.

13 November 2024 – In collaboration with the Syrian Ministry of Health (MoH) and partners, WHO has mobilized healthcare services to address the urgent needs of over 510,000 displaced individuals who have crossed from Lebanon into Syria since September 24, 2024. With needs increasing daily and basic services under strain, WHO’s coordinated health interventions support both displaced individuals and host communities, at border crossings, community centers, and shelters, particularly in underserved rural areas.

WHO leads and coordinates the health response to ensure access to essential health services and to mitigate risk of disease outbreaks among new arrivals and host communities. Services include primary healthcare, disease surveillance, mental health and psychosocial support (MPHSS), and water quality monitoring. Mobile medical teams provide integrated clinical care, including nutrition, routine immunization and Psychological First Aid on-site. Additionally, 24/7 mental health hotlines in Aleppo and Damascus, coupled with WHO outreach teams, offer specialize support to the most vulnerable, including survivors of gender-based violence.

To strengthen disease surveillance, WHO supports the MoH’s Early Warning, Alert, and Response System (EWARS) with operational resources and rapid response teams. EWARS data collection and response activities are being bolstered through WHO-supported field assistants, particularly in high-risk areas like Aleppo, Lattakia, Tartous, Homs, and Rural Damascus.

Children under 5, including new arrivals, are benefiting from expanded immunization services – most recently during the third round of the Big Catch-Up activity from 13 to 17 October. More than 10,000 children displaced from Lebanon were screened. WHO also provided vitamin A supplements to over 750,000 children and extended vaccinations to hosting centers through community outreach.

“Syria is facing a crisis within a crisis. The number of people in need is growing daily while the country’s capacity to absorb additional pressures is increasingly strained at time when the humanitarian response is critically underfunded. Guided by our commitment to leaving no one behind, WHO is supporting health partners, including the Ministry of Health, to deliver lifesaving health services to those most vulnerable need,” said Christina Bethke, WHO Representative, a.i. to Syria.

In addition to clinical care, WHO is conducting nutrition screenings at hosting centers and host communities, monitoring water quality for safe drinking water, and disseminating health messages to prevent waterborne and respiratory diseases. In October, WHO dispatched over 118 tons of essential medical supplies to support displaced populations and local health facilities. Oxygen concentrators and assistive devices were distributed in Homs, along with 100 First Aid Kits to the MoH across various governorates.

The generosity and flexibility of WHO’s existing humanitarian donors has enabled the response to date. Over the next six months, WHO will need an additional US$17.2 million to sustain these efforts and calls upon international donors to support the response, ensuring that lifesaving care reaches vulnerable populations and strengthens Syria’s long-term healthcare resilience.

ToT programme to enhance hospital management and care across Syria. Photo credit: @WHO Syria-Bashar Sattari31 October 2024, – On 23 October 2024 the World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with Syria’s Ministry of Health, announced a comprehensive training of trainers (ToT) programme to enhance hospital management and care across Syria. The programme, which runs until mid-November at the Centre for Strategic Studies and Health Training in Damascus, will train 70 health professionals as national trainers.

Supported by Austria, the training will equip participants with leadership and management skills tailored to Syria’s healthcare needs. The initiative includes 7 modules covering: governance, leadership, and strategic thinking; human resource management; hospital financial management; quality improvement and patient safety; hospital supplies and supportive services; hospital emergency and disaster management and hospital information management.

The modules, incorporating global best practices, will be delivered by expert facilitators from WHO’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) and commissioned international consultants from the Arab world. This initiative has already been implemented in 6 countries in the Region.

Acting WHO Representative to Syria Ms Christina Bethke underlined the importance of the initiative: “This programme marks a significant step in empowering Syria’s health care leadership. By building the capacity of national trainers, we aim to ensure that hospital teams across the country are equipped with the needed tools and leadership skills to play a critical role in responding to and minimizing the impact of public health emergencies and humanitarian crises. By investing in the health workforce, we can support the early recovery of Syria’s health system.”

Dr Hamid Ravaghi, regional advisor at the Universal Health Services department in EMRO, stated: "The ToT program will play a pivotal role in creating a sustainable model for continuous training and professional development, empowering hospital managers to lead with strategic vision, ultimately improving healthcare services and enhancing responsiveness to the sector's evolving needs."

In addition to international experts, national facilitators will also participate, helping to ensure that local expertise is developed. The program will establish a network of trainers to roll out a capacity-building program in hospital management to benefit all public hospitals in Syria by the end of 2025.

EMRO team visiting the newly established leishmaniasis treatment centre in Salah Al-Din, Aleppo, as part of WHO's efforts to expand healthcare access in Syria. Photo credit: @WHO Syria.24 October 2024 – On 3 October 2024, experts from the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean and the WHO Country Office concluded a mission in Syria to review, in collaboration with the Syrian Ministry of Health (MoH), the performance of the HIV, tuberculosis (TB), leishmaniasis and vector-borne disease control programs. The mission involved field visits to health facilities and directorates of health in Aleppo, Hama, Rural Damascus, and Damascus governorates to assess and evaluate the implementation and identify opportunities to expand access to quality health services and improve outcomes.

"Our goal is to ensure that communities in crisis have access to essential health services, especially for diseases worsened by conflict," said Dr Iman Shankiti, Acting WHO Representative to Syria. "Working with the Ministry of Health and partners, we are enhancing prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of TB, HIV, and leishmaniasis to better serve the most vulnerable."

Aleppo, home to nearly half of Syria’s leishmaniasis cases, is a key focus area. In collaboration with the MoH, WHO has opened a new treatment centre in Salah Al-Din and is upgrading the existing facility in Jab Al-Quba. Early detection and prompt treatment are central to WHO’s strategy, supported by vector control programs to reduce transmission.

With support from the Global Fund, WHO is working closely with the MoH to ensure that TB services are accessible, especially in remote and underserved areas. In Aleppo, WHO has helped rehabilitate the main TB centre, which supports 12 primary healthcare facilities and three laboratories across Aleppo and Rural Aleppo. A mobile TB clinic, one of five operating in Syria, serves displaced and vulnerable populations, reaching nearly 60,000 people each year.

WHO-supported voluntary counselling and testing centres provide free HIV services throughout Syria. In 2023, these centres conducted over 4,300 tests, identifying 45 positive cases. By early 2024, more than 440 people were receiving comprehensive care, including antiretroviral treatment (ARVs) and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS). All services are provided free of charge in all governorates through the MoH, also with Global Fund support.

With Syria’s healthcare system strained by the ongoing crises and displacement, WHO remains focused on delivering life-saving services for communicable diseases. This mission reflects WHO’s commitment to working closely with the Syrian Ministry of Health to expand access to care and improve health outcomes for those most in need.

Caption 1: Dr. Ghazwan Bweedani at Azaz Mental Health Hospital with a patient.

10 October 2024 – More than thirteen years of crises have taken a heavy toll on the health and well-being of Syria’s population, particularly its healthcare workers. On this World Mental Health Day, themed “Mental Health at Work,” WHO is highlighting the immense challenges faced by healthcare providers and patients across the country. Their stories reflect resilience in the face of hardship, set against a backdrop of dwindling resources and a health system stretched to its limits.

In Aleppo, Dr. Hiba Aubrey, an Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) doctor and head and neck surgeon, remembers the morning of 6 February 2023 as if it were yesterday. “At 4:17, we were jolted awake by strange noises and the ground was shaking beneath us,” she recalls. Leaving her family in what she hoped was a safe corner of their damaged home, she rushed to the hospital, where crowds of injured patients awaited care.

“Our duty was greater than our fear,” says Dr. Aubrey, reflecting on how she and her colleagues prioritized attending to patients despite constant concerns for their families' safety.

The earthquake shattered not only buildings but also lives, leaving deep emotional scars. The country has seen an 80% increase in depression and a 570% rise in stress-related disorders, along with higher mortality and morbidity rates linked to these conditions.

Caption 2: Dr. Hiba Aubrey, an ENT specialist, in an operating room in Aleppo.

In northwest Syria, nearly 20% of the population — about 1 million people — live with mental health disorders. But in a region of 5.1 million people, only two psychiatrists and 78 trained doctors remain.

At Azaz Mental Health Hospital, psychiatrist Dr. Ghazwan Bweedani not only treats patients dealing with the mental toll of conflict but also feels its effects himself. The hospital, a critical resource for those suffering from chronic conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, is grappling with severe funding shortages. “So many of our services are in jeopardy,” explains Dr. Bweedani. “We can’t even pay rent for additional space, let alone ensure regular salaries for our staff. Patients are crowded into just one area.”

Despite these challenges, the hospital’s 35 staff members, many working without pay, continue to provide essential care to 25 to 30 outpatients daily. But due to the lack of funds, the hospital has been forced to cut back on critical services that help communities.

The theme of this year’s World Mental Health Day—Mental Health at Work—is particularly relevant in Syria, where healthcare workers like Dr. Aubrey and Dr. Bweedani must confront their own trauma while continuing to care for others. The constant strain has led to increasing burnout and stress among medical professionals, who often work beyond their shifts without adequate support.

“This is not just a health issue; it’s a protection issue,” Dr. Bweedani emphasizes, pointing to the broader risks that arise if healthcare facilities are forced to close due to lack of funding. The Azaz facility is on the brink of closure, potentially leaving thousands without access to care, further endangering those with severe mental health conditions and escalating the crisis.

While health workers across Syria continue to provide life-saving services, they do so in an environment where their own well-being is often overlooked, compounding the challenges of delivering care in a country that has suffered multiple crises.

WHO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and partners, is fully committed to improving access to mental health services for all those in need. Over the past two years, more than 1 million mental health consultations have been provided, demonstrating a strong effort to support the mental well-being of the Syrian people but more is needed to ensure healthcare workers themselves have the necessary space, supplies and salaries to continue providing their life-saving services.