For years, armed confilts have shaken the region and shaken the health systems. The resurgence of cholera and measles threatens the lives of millions of people.
Before the war, Syria had one of the best performing health systems in the Mediterranean. More than 90% of children were vaccinated against polio or measles. And since the 1990s, no child has been paralyzed for life after contracting polio, recalls Dr ALa Alwan, WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean on the UN agency’s website.
But all these health gains and progress have been swept away by the five years of conflict. Hospitals destroyed, shortage of essential treatments – especially vaccines – precarious living conditions in cramped spaces… Everything is contributing to the resurgence of infectious pathologies. “In 2013, the country witnessed the emergence of a polio epidemic that paralyzed 35 children and spread to Iraq, a country that had not seen a case for 14 years. To get it under control, we need to immunize more than 25 million children living in the 8 countries affected by these armed conflicts, ”says Dr Ala Alwan.
A vulnerable region
In fact, Syria is not unique in the region. In Iraq, Yemen and Jordan, people are at increased risk of contracting these diseases, especially in areas inaccessible due to violence and insecurity. “Added to this problem are the 20 million people fleeing conflict zones. Many of them cross borders to seek refuge in neighboring countries, ”he notes. Thus, the mass arrival of refugees in Lebanon, for example, puts pressure on already fragile health systems.
“In areas where health systems may collapse, viruses and disease will be inevitable. They do not recognize borders. And when funding is delayed, or that those promised are not honored, then the health of populations will suffer the consequences, ”warns the doctor.
Urgent need to act
The emergence of cholera in Iraq is the perfect example. Since July, a dozen hospitals have stopped working, leaving millions of patients without life-saving care or treatment. “And despite repeated appeals for help, international and national organizations that provide direct support to the health system have only received $ 16 million out of the $ 60 million needed to respond to health crises,” says Dr Ala. Alwan.
For the WHO regional director, it is more than urgent that the decision-making countries – the European Union and the United States – recognize that the situation in the Mediterranean is unprecedented and requires financial but also human support.
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