Shadow over Syrian Healthcare: Preventable illnesses and old diseases haunt the Syrian public health system
In a troubling turn of events, Syria has been grappling with a severe cholera outbreak that was declared on September 10, 2022. The disease has spread across all 14 governorates of the war-torn country, causing concern among health officials and humanitarian workers alike.
Between August and December last year, 1,444 suspected cholera cases and seven deaths were reported, with the highest caseloads in Latakia, Hasakah, Aleppo, and displacement sites such as Al-Hol camp in the northeast. The warmer months add risk for cholera outbreaks due to families often relying on unsafe water in war-torn areas.
The worsening drought crisis in 2021 has further complicated the situation. Rainfall has shrunk nearly 28% nationwide and over 30% in regions such as Deraa, Idlib, and Aleppo. As a result, about two-thirds of Syria's water infrastructure is damaged or destroyed, and groundwater reserves are severely depleted, with baseflow down 80% across the country and over 90% in some areas.
Water pumping capacity in Deir Ezzor fell 90% during sieges and airstrikes, as found by a 2015 Bellingcat investigation. This has led to urgent calls for aid to restore water systems and prevent the spread of waterborne diseases like cholera.
Another pressing health concern in Syria is tuberculosis (TB). Between 2019 and 2025, more than 2,500 TB patients were identified, including 47 cases of multidrug-resistant TB. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported similar gaps in TB care in the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.
A report in Science Direct suggests that the real toll of TB in Syria is far higher due to chronic underdiagnosis, underreporting, and the exclusion of non-regime areas. Urgent TB intervention requires better diagnostics, active case finding in vulnerable populations, and expanded staff training.
The fate of Syria's two existing surveillance systems, the Early Warning and Response Network (EWARN) and the Early Warning and Response System (EWARS), is uncertain as a process of merger occurs. EWARS, launched with the WHO's support, covered more than 1,800 health centers, providing broad nationwide data, while EWARN focused on opposition-held areas and was "more flexible in the field." However, their integration remains fragile due to differences in operation and effectiveness, damaged health infrastructure, displaced workers, unstable access, and frequent disruptions like electricity and internet failures.
Severe funding shortfalls threaten to push Syria's fragile medical system closer to collapse. For now, humanitarian aid sustains much of Syria's medical care, especially outside Damascus's reach. Before Bashar Assad's overthrow, Syria's Health Ministry claimed TB rates had dropped from about 21 per 100,000 people in 2010 to 17 per 100,000 in 2023. However, the current situation paints a different picture.
With Assad gone, opportunities for better disease surveillance are emerging, but capacity remains fragile. Global shortages of oral cholera vaccine compounded the problem, leading to a switch from a two-dose to a single-dose vaccination strategy. Despite these challenges, health officials and humanitarian workers remain committed to improving Syria's health situation and preventing further suffering among the Syrian people.
Read also:
- Inadequate supply of accessible housing overlooks London's disabled community
- Strange discovery in EU: Rabbits found with unusual appendages resembling tentacles on their heads
- Duration of a Travelling Blood Clot: Time Scale Explained
- Fainting versus Seizures: Overlaps, Distinctions, and Proper Responses
