Background
Context of data collection
Methods
Results
Affected population size and general needs assessment
Public health risks
Exposure to armed attacks
Disease burden: Proportional morbidity
Disease burden: Epidemic occurrence
Syndrome | Number of alerts |
---|---|
Acute bloody diarrhoea | 125 |
Acute watery diarrhoea | 0 |
Acute jaundice syndrome | 642 |
Severe acute respiratory infection | 113 |
Acute flaccid paralysis | 65 |
Measles | 1003 |
Meningitis | 20 |
Unexplained cluster of events | 101 |
Unexplained death | 45 |
Fever of unknown origin | 344 |
Leishmaniasis | 74 |
Suspected typhoid fever | 970 |
Disease burden: Non-communicable diseases and mental disorders
Disease | Prevalence estimate (source) | In need of treatment | Receiving treatment | Treatment gap (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Diabetesa
| 1.8% (Syrian National Household Survey, 2009) | 281,000 | 45,000 | 236,000 (84%) |
12.1% (regional average, 2014) | 1,872,000 | 300,000 | 1,573,000 (84%) | |
Hypertensionb
| 2.3% (Syrian National Household Survey, 2009) | 359,000 | 25,000 | 327,000 (91%) |
41% (regional average, 2010) | 3,511,000 (6,396,920) | 316,000 (575,723) | 3,195,000 (5,821,197) (91%) | |
Depressionc
| 0.4% (Syrian National Household Survey, 2009) | 62,000 | 47,000 | 16,000 (75%) |
(14.95%) (regional average, 2011) | (2,332,535) | 1,749,402 | 583,134 (75%) |
Level of health care / Type of health service | Primary health care | Secondary health care | Tertiary health care | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
Outreach activities within the community | ||||
Health education | 43.6 | 18.9 | 43.2 | 37.8 |
Screening for malnutrition with MUAC | 27.5 | 18.9 | 13.6 | 23.2 |
Follow up of malnourished children | 30.4 | 39.6 | 18.2 | 30.2 |
Pregnancy screening for referral to ANC | 36.9 | 39.6 | 27.3 | 35.8 |
Screening and referral of non-vaccinated children | 28.2 | 28.3 | 11.4 | 24.8 |
Out Patient services | ||||
Outpatient services | 63.1 | 83 | 70.5 | 68.7 |
Basic Laboratory Services | 30.2 | 84.9 | 47.7 | 45.1 |
Basic Imaging Service | 15.4 | 79.2 | 50 | 35.4 |
Surgery | ||||
Primary Injury care | 52.3 | 86.8 | 38.6 | 57.3 |
Emergency surgery | 17.4 | 73.6 | 43.2 | 34.1 |
Elective surgery | 12.8 | 75.5 | 40.9 | 31.3 |
Intensive care unit | 4.7 | 32.1 | 11.4 | 11.8 |
Basic blood bank service | 6.7 | 49.1 | 29.5 | 19.9 |
Comprehensive blood bank service | 0.7 | 7.5 | 11.4 | 3.7 |
Post-operative care | 24.8 | 77.4 | 45.5 | 39.8 |
Child health | ||||
EPI | 17.2 | 13.2 | 2.3 | 13.6 |
Screening for acute malnutrition (SAM) | 22.1 | 28.3 | 18.2 | 22.8 |
Outpatient treatment of SAM | 24.2 | 45.3 | 22.7 | 28.5 |
Stabilization Centre for the management of Severe Acute Malnutrition | 8.1 | 15.1 | 18.2 | 11.4 |
Basic Child Care (IMCI) | 28.4 | 32.1 | 29.5 | 29.4 |
Management of children suffering from severe and very severe illness | 37.6 | 57.7 | 34.1 | 41.2 |
Communicable diseases | ||||
Treatment of measles | 49.7 | 56.6 | 34.1 | 48.4 |
Treatment of cholera | 25.5 | 35.8 | 31.8 | 28.9 |
Treatment of acute bloody diarrhoea | 54.7 | 67.9 | 38.6 | 54.7 |
Treatment of acute watery diarrhoea | 58.4 | 67.9 | 38.6 | 56.9 |
Treatment of Typhoid and Brucellosis | 57.7 | 73.6 | 34.1 | 56.9 |
Treatment of Rabies | 16.1 | 15.1 | 6.8 | 14.6 |
Treatment of leishmaniasis | 73.8 | 56.6 | 31.8 | 62.6 |
Diagnosis of Viral Hepatitis B&C | 33.1 | 52.8 | 31.8 | 37.1 |
Treatment of Viral Hepatitis B&C | 5.4 | 13.2 | 13.6 | 8.5 |
Diagnosis of TB locally or via referral | 33.6 | 47.2 | 20.5 | 34.1 |
Treatment of TB | 4.7 | 11.3 | 11.4 | 7.3 |
January 2013 | April 2013 | Grand total (dead + injured) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Variable | Governorate | Dead | Injured | Total | Dead | Injured | Total | |
Children <5y old | Al-Hassakeh | 6 | 20 | 26 | 33 | 287 | 320 | 346 |
Aleppo | 135 | 658 | 793 | 739 | 4227 | 4966 | 5759 | |
Ar-Raqqa | 18 | 0 | 18 | 123 | 535 | 658 | 676 | |
Deir-ez-Zor | 136 | 606 | 742 | 491 | 1857 | 2348 | 3090 | |
Hama | n/a | n/a | n/a | 304 | 1535 | 1839 | 1839 | |
Idleb | 1003 | 1112 | 2115 | 527 | 3207 | 3734 | 5849 | |
Lattakia | 19 | 275 | 294 | 13 | 43 | 56 | 350 | |
Total | 1317 | 2671 | 3988 | 2230 | 11,691 | 13,921 | 17,909 | |
Female ≥5y old | Al-Hassakeh | 5 | 15 | 20 | 36 | 89 | 125 | 145 |
Aleppo | 257 | 1747 | 2004 | 770 | 5880 | 6650 | 8654 | |
Ar-Raqqa | 29 | 26 | 55 | 132 | 1031 | 1163 | 1218 | |
Deir-ez-Zor | 446 | 1407 | 1853 | 385 | 1346 | 1731 | 3584 | |
Hama | n/a | n/a | n/a | 248 | 1905 | 2153 | 2153 | |
Idleb | 892 | 690 | 1582 | 450 | 1991 | 2441 | 4023 | |
Lattakia | 33 | 325 | 358 | 29 | 25 | 54 | 412 | |
Total | 1662 | 4210 | 5872 | 2050 | 12,267 | 14,317 | 20,189 | |
Male ≥5y old | Al-Hassakeh | 81 | 51 | 132 | 444 | 583 | 1027 | 1159 |
Aleppo | 1277 | 6201 | 7478 | 3778 | 19,642 | 23,420 | 30,898 | |
Ar-Raqqa | 370 | 244 | 614 | 1637 | 2701 | 4338 | 4952 | |
Deir-ez-Zor | 2760 | 18,027 | 20,787 | 3726 | 8107 | 11,833 | 32,620 | |
Hama | n/a | n/a | n/a | 2879 | 13,736 | 16,615 | 16,615 | |
Idleb | 2608 | 3209 | 5817 | 3615 | 7616 | 11,231 | 17,048 | |
Lattakia | 446 | 1650 | 2096 | 236 | 550 | 786 | 2882 | |
Total | 7542 | 29,382 | 36,924 | 16,315 | 52,935 | 69,250 | 106,174 | |
Column grand totals | 10,521 | 36,263 | 46,784 | 20,595 | 76,893 | 97,488 | 144,272 |
Discussion: Key lessons from Syria
Information sharing
Population denominators
E-health and m-health opportunities
Agencies’ capacity for data collection
Conclusion
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Between 2013 and 2014, access for humanitarian aid to contested and opposition-held areas of Syria was severely hindered by insecurity, the Government of Syria and lack of leadership from the United Nations
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Humanitarian needs have consistently been most acute in contested and opposition-held areas of Syria due to breakdown of Government of Syria services and intense warfare
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Humanitarian organisations had to establish de novo data collection systems independent of the Government of Syria to provide essential services in opposition-held and contested areas of Syria
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The use of technology such as social media was vital to facilitating remote data collection in Syria as many humanitarian agencies operated with a limited operational visibility given chronic levels of insecurity
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Mortality data have been highly politicized and extremely difficult to verify, particularly in areas highly affected by the conflict, with shifting frontlines, populations, and allegiances
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Much more attention should be given for the treatment gap for non-communicable diseases including mental disorders
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More investment in data collection and use, technological investment in the use of M and E-health, capacity building and strong technical and independent leadership should be a key priority for the humanitarian health response in Syria and other emergencies