Abu Yassin spends time with his grandchildren at their tent in Idlib. Photo credit: WHO

15 December 2025, Idlib, Syrian Arab Republic – In a tent not far from a busy vaccination point in Idlib, nurse Amal moves among parents with the steady assurance of someone who has spent years rebuilding trust in immunization. A mother of four, she begins every conversation from a place of lived experience. “In times like these, vaccines are the protection we can rely on,” she says.

Across Syria, routine immunization has faced the compounded effects of disrupted services, displacement and rising needs. Health workers like Amal, supported through outreach and mobile teams, continue to bridge these gaps by meeting families where they are and creating space for questions, clarity and reassurance.

“Some parents were unsure at first,” she recalls. “But when we visited homes and explained the diseases we are trying to prevent, things changed. People want to protect their children — they just need information they trust.”

Her work forms part of the Ministry of Health–led Expanded Programme on Immunization, implemented with support from WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and health partners.

Abu Yassin holds his grandchild inside their tent before heading to the vaccination centre. Photo credit: WHO

Among the caregivers Amal sees regularly is Abu Yassin, a grandfather known in his neighbourhood for never missing an appointment. With his sons at work during clinic hours, he brings his four grandchildren himself — checking their cards, confirming their schedules and ensuring each dose is received on time.

“All my children were vaccinated,” he says. “Now I do the same for my grandchildren. I don’t delay — this is what keeps them safe.”

Abu Yassin helps his grandchild get ready for a routine vaccine dose at an immunization centre in Idlib. Photo credit: WHO

Over time, his steady routine has influenced others. Neighbours who had hesitated began watching him, asking questions, and in many cases choosing vaccination after seeing his example. “I talk to anyone who asks,” he says simply. “Every child deserves this protection.”

For Amal, the change is visible every day. “Parents mention him. They say, ‘If he makes sure every dose is on time, so should we.’ His consistency helped rebuild confidence.”

A gentle moment between Abu Yassin and his grandchild reflects the responsibility he feels to protect their future through timely vaccination. Photo credit: WHO

The determination of families like Abu Yassin’s comes at a time when Syria is making significant progress in routine immunization. Throughout 2025, the Ministry of Health — with support from WHO, UNICEF, health partners and vaccines funded through Gavi, the Vaccine Aliance — has led a series of nationwide efforts to reach every child, no matter their location.

In October, a nationwide Big Catch-Up and measles drive brought vaccines to 1.7 million children under five and ensured over 270,000 children received their doses across all areas of the country, including in southern and northeast regions where access has historically been challenging. The momentum continued into November, when vaccination teams reached around 428,000 children with measles and rubella vaccines in Idlib, Aleppo, Raqqa and Tal Abyad — a reminder of how quickly trust grows when communities see services returning consistently. Earlier in the year, during World Immunization Week, WHO supported the vaccination of 3.4 million children, giving new strength to routine services that protect families from preventable diseases.

These collective efforts are beginning to rebuild a sense of continuity in immunization across Syria — a system where every appointment kept by a caregiver, every mobile team deployed and every clinic that opens its doors helps ensure that children are protected regardless of where they live or what challenges their families face. This is particularly critical at a time when so many Syrians are on the move – returning from abroad or from displacement within the country.

For Amal, the message she shares with every parent is grounded in both professional experience and motherhood. “In crowded settings and difficult living conditions, diseases can spread quickly,” she says. “Vaccines give children a fair chance at a healthier future. Please don’t delay — every dose matters.”

While the children’s parents are at work, Abu Yassin brings his grandchildren for every scheduled dose — a routine that has strengthened community confidence in vaccines. Photo credit: WHO

From Amal’s careful explanations to Abu Yassin’s steady walk to each appointment, Syria’s immunization progress is driven by the choices families make every day.

14 December 2025, Tartous, Syrian Arab Republic – When 72-year-old Ali Ibrahim from rural Tartous was told he urgently needed heart surgery, he feared the worst. Private care was far beyond his means, and travelling long distances was not an option. But at Tartous National Hospital, strengthened with new medical equipment, Ali received the care he needed — care he believes saved his life. 

The new anesthesia machine at Tartous National Hospital, provided through KSrelief support. Photo credit: WHO

“At first, I was afraid,” he says. “But the hospital took care of everything. The doctors checked on me constantly, gave me my medications, and never let me feel alone. Without this care, I don’t know if I would still be alive.”

For many families in Tartous and surrounding rural areas, access to essential medical services is often a race against time.

A medical team stands beside the new operating table provided through KSrelief support. Photo credit: WHO

Over the past decade, Syria’s health system has withstood immense pressure: equipment has aged, patient needs have grown, and medical teams continue to work through challenging conditions.

With support from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), WHO has delivered a package of essential medical equipment to Tartous National Hospital – including a modern operating table, an advanced anesthesia machine, a portable ultrasound device, and a hemodialysis machine. Together, these tools strengthen diagnostics, treatment, and surgical care for thousands of patients each year.

“We perform between 50 and 70 surgeries every day,” says Dr. Ali Hussein, Head of the Anesthesia Unit. “Our older machines have served for many years but no longer met current safety standards. This new anesthesia machine has improved stability during operations and — most importantly — enhanced patient safety. It has made a big difference.”

Dr. Ali Hussein explains how the new anesthesia machine is improving safety during operations. Photo credit: WHO

In the cardiac surgery unit, Dr. Mohammad Ali Ali, Head of the Cardiac Department, adds: “The new equipment from KSrelief has expanded our capacity and improved the quality of care. It has allowed us to replace outdated devices, strengthen emergency readiness, and provide life-saving treatment to more patients when every minute counts.”

For communities across Tartous governorate, the hospital is more than a health facility — it is a lifeline. With upgraded equipment and committed health workers, Tartous National Hospital continues to deliver safer, more reliable care each day.

WHO, together with KSrelief and in coordination with the Ministry of Health, remains committed to supporting health services across Syria, helping ensure every patient can access timely, safe, and effective care close to home.

11 December 2025, Syrian Arab Republic – In the pediatric oncology ward of Aleppo University Hospital, nurse Nour Al-Huda Al-Yazji moves quietly between beds, checking IV lines, adjusting doses and bending down to catch the shy smiles of children who have learned to trust her.

Nurses from Aleppo, Idlib, Lattakia and Damascus who participated in the national training of trainers on pediatric oncology nursing at the Basma Specialized Unit, Al-Bairouni University Hospital in Harasta, Damascus. Photo credit: WHO

For sixteen years, Nour has chosen to stay in this ward – a place of pain, progress and stubborn hope. She never saw nursing as “just a job”. For her, it is a commitment to walk alongside children and their families through some of the hardest days of their lives.

Recently, that commitment took her from Aleppo to Damascus, where she joined a new national training of trainers programme for pediatric oncology nurses – the first of its kind in Syria. 

A national training built around nurses’ reality

Between 26 October and 20 November 2025, nurses from pediatric oncology units across Aleppo, Idlib, Lattakia and Damascus came together at the Basma Specialized Unit in Al-Bairouni University Hospital in Harasta for an intensive course.
The programme – developed jointly by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Al-Bairouni University Hospital, Basma Association, and WHO, with international partners including Childhood Cancer International – aims to raise the academic and clinical skills of pediatric oncology nurses and improve the quality of care they provide to children with cancer in Syria.

Over four weeks, nurses completed 20 hours of theoretical training and 80 hours of hands-on practical work, mastering more than 80 clinical skills – from safe chemotherapy preparation and infection prevention, to managing central lines, monitoring vital signs and responding to emergencies. They also joined 40 hours of joint rounds and case discussions (clinical sessions) with the wider medical team, reflecting the reality of day-to-day work in a busy oncology unit.

The goal is clear: each nurse will return to their governorate not only more confident at the bedside, but also prepared to train colleagues, spreading up-to-date knowledge and strengthening care across the country.

“We were used to inserting lines and monitoring fluids while doctors handled calculations and decisions,” Nour explains. “During the training, we learned to understand the treatment plans themselves – what each medication does, how doses are calculated and what side effects to watch for. It changed how I see my role as a nurse.”

Pediatric oncology nurse Nour Al-Huda Al-Yazji at the training in Damascus. Photo credit: WHO

Learning to care for the whole child

The Basma Specialized Unit, opened in 2009, now includes 40 inpatient beds and 12 day-care beds, along with intensive care and palliative care services and specialized programmes for bone or eye cancer.  Every day, it receives children and families from across Syria who are navigating new diagnoses, complex treatment schedules and long stays far from home.

For Nour, one of the most important parts of the training was the focus on psychological and social support – for children and for their families. “Some children accept treatment quickly. Others are afraid and need time to build trust,” she says. “We talked a lot about communication – how to explain what is happening in ways children can understand, how to support parents when they are overwhelmed, and how to be present even when we have many patients to see.”

Sessions on communication, psychosocial support and palliative care sat alongside lectures on chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, infection prevention and tumor lysis syndrome, reflecting the reality that childhood cancer care is never just about medicines and machines.

“It was a reminder that nursing in pediatric oncology has to be both academic and deeply humane,” Nour says. “We have to look after the child’s body and their spirit at the same time – and we also have to prepare ourselves emotionally for this work.”

Back in Aleppo University Hospital’s pediatric oncology department, only five nurses currently cover the ward, which receives two to five new patients every day, in addition to around fifteen children who come regularly for their treatment sessions. Nour knows that every bit of knowledge she brings back matters.

“We still need many more trainings to serve our patients better,” she says. “Everything we learn reflects in the life of a small child waiting to get better. God willing, I will pass on what I’ve learned to my colleagues, because we are all working toward one goal – giving children the best possible chance to heal.”

At Al-Bairouni University Hospital in Damascus, 11-year-old Zahraa receives a routine check-up from a pediatric oncology nurse during her chemotherapy treatment.

Zahraa’s drawings of tomorrow

At Al-Bairouni University Hospital in Damascus, 11-year-old Zahraa receives a routine check-up from a pediatric oncology nurse during her chemotherapy treatment. At Al-Bairouni University Hospital in Damascus, 11-year-old Zahraa receives a routine check-up from a pediatric oncology nurse during her chemotherapy treatment. Photo credit: WHO

One of the children whose life intersects with this training is 11-year-old Zahraa Suleiman.

In the playroom, Zahraa is most often seen with coloured pencils in her hands and pink smudges on her fingertips. Pink is her favourite colour – the shade she chooses for flowers, dresses and the wide hearts she draws for the people she loves.
Among those people is “Ngham”, the doctor she talks about like a friend, and Dr Khaled, whom she describes as “so kind”. She also mentions Dr Dima with the easy affection of a child who has built strong bonds with the adults around her. The ward is full of needles, tests and long hours, but for Zahraa, it is also a place of stories, jokes and drawings taped to the walls.

Behind her laughter is a story that began with pain in her joints.

At first, her father thought it was something simple – the kind of complaint many children have after a long day of play. But as the pain persisted, the family went from one clinic to another in Idlib, searching for answers. Tests ruled out inflammation. A neurologist could not find an explanation. Finally, a hematologist requested a bone marrow examination.

“A few days later, the doctor called me urgently,” her father recalls. “When I arrived, he told me: ‘Zahraa has leukemia.’ It felt like the world stopped. We thought it was something minor. We were not prepared to hear the word ‘cancer’.”

With chemotherapy unavailable in Idlib or Aleppo at that time, the family travelled to Al-Bairouni Hospital in Damascus, where the diagnosis was confirmed, and Zahraa’s treatment began. After the first chemotherapy dose, her immunity dropped and she developed a fever, requiring repeated hospital stays.

Ten months later, Zahraa is still in treatment – a plan expected to last two and a half years, followed by additional maintenance therapy. To stay close to the hospital and reduce the strain of travel, the family moved from Idlib to Harasta – just outside of the city of Damascus, renting a small home and enrolling their other children in nearby schools. Zahraa herself has also joined a local school, keen to learn alongside other children whenever her health allows.

Her father speaks with quiet pride: “Despite everything, Zahraa still smiles. She loves her teachers, her friends, and the doctors. When she is drawing, you can see her forget the pain for a while.” 

Training that changes the ward – and the future

For Zahraa’s father, the way staff treat his daughter matters as much as the medicines themselves.

“The hospital team has been wonderful – from doctors to nurses,” he says. “They treat the children with respect and tenderness. We are grateful for their efforts.”

At the same time, he worries about the overcrowded children’s ward and hopes additional sections can be opened to ease the pressure on young patients and health workers. His reflections echo one of the central aims of the new training programme: to strengthen pediatric oncology services across Syria so that families like his can access high-quality care closer to home.

By equipping nurses with stronger clinical and teaching skills, the training creates a network of nurse-trainers who can support colleagues in different hospitals, standardize safe practices and advocate for the needs of children and their families.

“Childhood cancer care is a team effort,” Nour says. “Doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, parents – all of us are part of the journey. When nurses are given the tools and trust to lead, we can make a real difference.”

A shared commitment to children with cancer

The national training of trainers for pediatric oncology nurses is one step in a longer process of strengthening cancer care for children in Syria. By centring the voices and experiences of nurses like Nour, and children like Zahraa, it highlights what health system strengthening looks like in practice: listening, learning and building together.

For Nour, the path ahead is clear. Back in Aleppo, between early morning rounds and late-night shifts, she is already planning how to adapt the training materials and share them with her team.

“In every lecture and every practical session, I was thinking of the children waiting for us at home,” she says. “If we can improve our skills, update our knowledge and support each other as nurses, then every new patient who walks into our ward will feel the difference.”