We've all been destroyed by the COVID-19 pandemic. But those who were already facing injustices due to poverty, gender, ethnicity, education, occupation, immigration status, handicap, and discrimination have been hardest hit. In Syria, where there is ongoing conflict, individuals are more susceptible to contracting the disease due to weak health systems, limited access to healthcare, and severe economic effects of the pandemic. Getting access to COVID-19 vaccinations is another enormous task for Syria in order to curb continued transmission.
There are other serious health issues affecting Syrians than COVID-19; 12.4 million of them require medical assistance. The World Health Organization (WHO) is particularly focused on protecting, promoting, and improving health for all people in Syria by addressing disparities through its national presence.
Syria is located in the WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Region, which accounts for the majority of global health emergency fatalities.
Along with a significant death toll, the Syrian conflict is still causing a high prevalence of mental health issues, infectious and noncommunicable diseases, and disabilities. Health depends on peace; without it, existing disparities worsen and have a negative impact on all facets of the social determinants of health, such as social protection, access to health care, education, work, and income, as well as basic human rights, housing, water, and sanitation. Furthermore, migration and inadequate governance frameworks have a tight relationship with inequality.
WHO delivers health services through a health systems approach. Health infrastructure, health workforce, medications and supplies, health information, health financing, and health governance are the fundamental components of the health system. While self-reliance and resilience are mostly dependent on governance, systems, institutions, and society, the establishment of institutions and the relationship between development and humanitarian relief are dependent on peace processes and a political resolution.
Syria needs to prioritize four sectors and have a working health system in order to preserve lives.
First, there is a restricted capability for public health surveillance and identification.
For this to happen, surveillance systems for new and reemerging dangers must be strengthened, and laboratory capabilities must be improved in order to efficiently produce epidemiological data, make forecasts, and manage risk—especially given the current environment.
In order for people to access healthcare facilities for care and treatment, Syria requires operational healthcare facilities. Over ten years of conflict, hospitals have suffered the most damage to their infrastructure, with only half of them operating at full capacity. The most affected populations and governorates are some. For instance, only one of the sixteen public hospitals in northeastern Syria is fully operational, while the other three are just partially so. After the third wave of COVID-19 in Syria, securing the necessary number of hospital beds in intensive care units is a huge difficulty.
Third, the core of the health system is its workforce. The nation's medical workforce is decreasing, leaving medical professionals unable to meet the nation's excessive health demands. The health workforce is something we must invest in.
Fourth, as part of the national stockpile, it's critical to guarantee sufficient supply of necessary medications for at least 60 days. Economic factors have contributed to the rise in the price of locally made medications, making them both unprofitable for manufacturers and unaffordable for consumers. As a result, millions of Syrians lack access to medications during these dire circumstances.
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