Dr Khleifawi underlined the many challenges the country has been experiencing, including the fragile health system, which has been severely affected by the prolonged Syrian crisis, the limited testing capacity across Syria, and most importantly the efforts towards obtaining the COVID-19 vaccines supported by WHO, UNICEF and the GAVI - the Vaccine Alliance, Syria being an eligible country for COVAX vaccine support.
“The appearance of new variants of the virus requires more cooperation to enhance the national response,” voiced Dr Khleifawi. “However, amid our protracted efforts, we stress the importance of ensuring a continuum of education, enhancing laboratory capacity, as well as safe and timely delivery of COVID-19 vaccines,” said Dr Khleifawi.
The Health Sector Coordination team identified milestones, challenges and best practices in the COVID-19 emergency response core capacities, including surveillance, infection prevention and control, case management, national laboratories, risk communication and community engagement, as well as points of entry to ensure nationwide disease preparedness and response.
The meeting concluded with a call on humanitarian agencies to take stock of the accomplishments achieved and focus on the areas to strengthen in the coming months while prioritizing these activities and reflecting them in the 2021 national response plan.
