Immunization activity in Rural Damascus, Syria, 2024. Photo credit: WHO Syria23 July 2024, Damascus – The Syrian Ministry of Health (MOH), supported by WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has launched the second round of Big Catch-Up vaccination activity this week.

The Big Catch-Up is an initiative launched by global health partners in April 2023 to address the decline in childhood vaccination rates observed during the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of overburdened health systems and disrupted access to medical care. This is the second phase in Syria, following an initial phase in April this year.

During this round, about 2 million children under the age of five are targeted to be screened, and more than 300,000 are expected to be vaccinated with different childhood vaccines. The activity aims to reach children through fixed sites and mobile vaccination teams across the selected areas of coverage, with over 7,500 health workers deployed. In addition, a measles campaign will be conducted in 68 districts identified as priority districts for measles, where children will receive measles rubella / measles mumps rubella (MR/MMR) vaccines regardless of their vaccination status.

To ensure vaccine uptake, MOH Syria and partners are also rolling out proactive community engagement activities to promote vaccination of children, including through partnership with community leaders, social and mass media, as well as other influencers.

“The Big Catch-Up initiative in Syria is not only an opportunity to immunize and protect all children up to 5 years old, including zero dose children, but is also aimed at strengthening routine immunization from planning, service delivery and to monitoring systems. Gavi and our partners are committed to continuing supporting the Ministry of Health towards a strong and resilient immunization national programme, which is the essential pillar for combating disease outbreaks,” said Véronique Maeva Fages, the Senior Country Manager for Syria at Gavi.

“The Big Catch-Up initiative is a vital step in overcoming the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and building a stronger, more resilient health system. UNICEF remains committed to supporting the Syrian Ministry of Health and our partners in this critical effort to safeguard the future of children in Syria," said Yasumasa Kimura, UNICEF Representative in Syria.

Dr Iman Shankiti, acting WHO Representative to Syria, echoed and emphasized the importance of these efforts: “Our commitment to the Syrian people is unwavering, and we stand together with our health partners to strengthen the immunization programme as a cornerstone of achieving universal health coverage”.

Immunization activity in Rural Damascus, Syria, 2024. Photo credit: WHO SyriaThrough global catch-up efforts supported by GAVI and other donors, partners aim to help lower-income countries close immunization gaps, restore immunization coverage to pre-pandemic levels, and strengthen immunization systems in the longer term.

In Syria, the first round managed to screen the vaccination status of more than 1.8 million children and vaccinated zero-dose and unvaccinated children with the needed vaccines. Additionally, 1.8 million received the Polio vaccine (bOPV) and 1 million received Vitamin A regardless of their vaccination status.

The second round of the Big Catch Up activity coincides with a joint high-level mission by WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to Syria. The mission is aimed at understanding the status of the current immunization programme and continuing dialogue on longer-term sustainable solutions in vaccine procurement and financing.

The next round of the Big Catch-Up initiative is slated for October this year.

About WHO

The World Health Organization works with 194 Member States across six regions and from more than 150 offices to provide global leadership in public health, promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing. For more information about WHO and its health agenda, visit www.who.int.

About UNICEF

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org. Follow UNICEF on Twitter and Facebook.

About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate more than half the world’s children against some of the world’s deadliest diseases. The Vaccine Alliance brings together developing countries and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and other private sector partners. View the full list of donor governments and other leading organizations that fund Gavi’s work here.

Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunize a whole generation – over 1 billion children – and prevented more than 17.3 million future deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 78 lower-income countries. Gavi also plays a key role in improving global health security by supporting health systems as well as funding global stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningococcal, and yellow fever vaccines. After two decades of progress, Gavi is now focused on protecting the next generation, above all the zero-dose children who have not received even a single vaccine shot. The Vaccine Alliance employs innovative finance and the latest technology – from drones to biometrics – to save lives, prevent outbreaks before they can spread, and help countries on the road to self-sufficiency. Learn more at www.gavi.org and connect with us on Facebook and X (Twitter).

Media contacts:

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WHO: Tania Seburyamo, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

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.