Syria
A child walks with a nurse at the cancer ward of the Children's Hospital in Damascus, Syria, Monday, March. 7, 2022. Photo: AP
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Syrian health ministry on Wednesday rang the alarm about the critical shortage of cancer medications in the country, warning that the current stockpile will only last for 15 more days, which could lead to a humanitarian crisis affecting thousands of patients.
In a press conference attended by Rudaw in Damascus, the head of the National Advisory Committee for Blood and Oncology, Jamil al-Dabl, stated that the Syrian health ministry “only has 20 percent of the needed medications for cancer patients,” which could “lead to a serious crisis threatening the lives of both children and adults."
Dabl urged the international community and organizations to provide Syria with urgent medical relief, warning that the disruption of the ongoing cancer treatments “could lead to the death of thousands of patients and increase the psychological and financial suffering of their families.”
For his part, the head of the Cancer Authority in the Ministry of Health, Karam Jaji explained on Wednesday that Syria records 17,000 new cancer cases annually, including about 1,500 cases among children. He emphasized that the country has 19 cancer treatment centers, all of which are in urgent need of essential medications.
Sanctions, particularly the Caesar Act, which targets the Syrian government, have severely impacted the healthcare system. Restrictions on items like nitrous oxide and helium - vital for anesthesia and MRI machines - have disrupted basic medical care. Cancer treatment drugs are also in short supply.
Despite some international efforts to ease sanctions and facilitate Syria's recovery, the country remains in a dire economic and healthcare crisis.
Recent 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, while 90 percent of the population are living below the poverty line.
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