Rojava doctors meet UK health secretary

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A delegation of doctors from northeast Syria (Rojava) traveled to the United Kingdom for a meeting with the British government’s health secretary on Friday to discuss healthcare challenges in Rojava.

“During the meeting, the secretary received a detailed briefing on the healthcare situation in Northeast Syria. The delegation outlined the major challenges facing the medical sector in the region. They also highlighted the impact of political and security conditions on the availability and quality of healthcare services,” read a statement from the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) which organized the meeting with the Kurds for Labour Group.

The discussion focused on ways to support the healthcare sector in Rojava, according to the SDC.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting agreed to a second meeting to explore “concrete mechanisms for providing expanded healthcare support,” according to the SDC.

International sanctions, particularly the Caesar Act that targets the Syrian government, have severely impacted the healthcare system. Vital drugs and medical equipment are in short supply.

Reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that as of December 2024, only 57 percent of Syria’s hospitals and 37 percent of primary healthcare centers are fully functional.

Despite some international efforts to ease sanctions after the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, the healthcare crisis persists.