17 September 2025, Syrian Arab Republic – Born in the sixth month of pregnancy, in a region where access to neonatal care is limited, and weighing just 900 grams, Lena’s* survival was far from certain. But thanks to the medical and home care guidance provided by volunteers trained through a programme supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Syrian Ministry of Health – and the tireless commitment of her parents – Lena began to thrive.
That Lena is now a healthy 2-year-old testifies to the strength of her family and the lifesaving impact of home-based care. Supported by volunteer community health workers, who provided advice and close follow-up, her parents followed best practices: frequent breastfeeding, skin-to-skin warming, and avoiding supplements and formula. It was a collective effort, rooted in community-based care.
Lena’s family is one of many that have benefitted from the caring for newborns and mothers at home programme. Linked to the healthy village programme, the initiative involves volunteer health workers providing essential care to pregnant women and newborns.
As part of the programme, community health workers conduct home visits during the antenatal period and the first weeks after birth. They support families in adopting best practices for maternal and newborn care at home, while encouraging care seeking from specialist health professionals when needed.
Launched in 2017, the programme reaches around 20 000 families annually in underserved rural areas, in coordination with the Ministry of Health. The programme's success is largely due to the dedication of its volunteers who receive 5 days of basic health care training.
In 2024, 19 180 home visits were made, with 58 newborns and 69 mothers referred to specialized care. The programme is currently implemented in 11 governorates, where a total of 885 volunteers cover 216 healthy villages.
Despite the successes, the programme covers just 5% of Syria’s prenatal, delivery and newborn care needs. Funding remains a significant hurdle to the programme’s sustainability and expansion. Resources are limited and access to some hard-to-reach areas across the country continues to be a challenge.
The future
The goal is to build on the programme’s successes and expand its reach. With a renewed focus on quality and training, the programme aims to engage volunteers with higher education – currently volunteers are mostly from preparatory and high school backgrounds – and enhance capacity-building opportunities, including a shift to computerized data collection.
As the caring for newborns and mothers at home programme moves forward, it is poised to make an even greater impact. It will continue to empower communities and save lives as Syria works to rebuild its health system and secure a healthy future for all its mothers and children.
* Name changed.
