The Syrian Ministry of Health has launched a comprehensive national nutrition survey in all Syrian provinces for children and women of reproductive age, to improve health services and national nutrition programs.
The survey focuses on children from birth to five years old, and women of reproductive age between 15 and 49, according to a statement the ministry published today, Monday, 1 December, on its Facebook page.
Field health teams are conducting direct household visits and taking precise measurements such as weight, height, and mid-upper arm circumference, in addition to screening children for edema and measuring mid-upper arm circumference for women, the ministry said.
It added that the survey represents a strategic step to improve the quality of health services provided and to develop national programs related to nutrition and public health.
The ministry explained that the campaign aims to assess the nutritional status of groups most at risk of malnutrition, in cooperation with several international and local organizations.
It also called on citizens to cooperate with field teams to ensure the campaign’s success and achieve the intended benefit for all members of society.
14 million face food insecurity
The International Blue Crescent Relief and Development Foundation (IBC) issued a report outlining the situation in Syria after the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024, pointing to a complex mix of political, economic, humanitarian, and security challenges facing the country.
In the report, published on 8 September, the organization said the Syrian economy had shrunk to an estimated 17.5 billion US dollars in 2023, compared with 60 billion dollars before 2011, while around 16.7 million people need humanitarian assistance, and more than 14 million are suffering from food insecurity.
The humanitarian situation remains critical, according to the report, which estimates that 16.5 million people in Syria need assistance, and that more than 12 million have been forcibly displaced since the start of the war.
More than 14 million people suffer from food insecurity and require emergency food assistance, while drought conditions, described as the worst in more than 36 years, have exacerbated the crisis, disrupting food production and water supplies.
One in four Syrians lives in “extreme” poverty, while most of the population lives below the poverty line. A severe liquidity crisis and high inflation have made it difficult for households to meet their basic needs.
WHO promises support
Syria’s health system stands at a critical crossroads, moving from years of conflict into a recovery phase, according to the World Health Organization’s Acting Representative in Syria, Christina Bethke, who described what she called the country’s “national health goals,” announced by the government last July, as a clear roadmap to rescue the sector.
According to Bethke’s comments to Enab Baladi, the roadmap includes expanding equitable primary health care, ensuring a reliable supply of medicines, investing in the health workforce, and integrating mental health services into general services.
Representatives of the World Health Organization met with Syrian Health Minister Musab al-Ali on 13 July to discuss redistributing the health workforce between rural and urban areas and enhancing the efficiency of health services.
The meeting also addressed modern planning methods and the “HELMA” labor market analysis strategy to build an accurate, up-to-date database for the health sector in Syria.
For these reforms to succeed, Bethke said, they must be accompanied by practical enabling factors, including predictable and sustainable funding, investment in infrastructure, and measures to attract back health workers who have left the country.
She called for providing living wages, safe and adequate housing, schools for children, and livelihood opportunities for family members, in addition to integrating emergency preparedness into these reforms so that the system can withstand future shocks.
Bethke said the World Health Organization is supporting these efforts by helping rehabilitate hospitals and health centers, training medical staff, expanding epidemiological surveillance, and strengthening governance and financing mechanisms, to make the health sector a driver of stability and recovery.
