Health in Syria



Although emphasized by the country's ruling Baath Party and improving significantly in recent years, health in Syria has been declining due to the ongoing civil war. The war which has left 60% of the population food insecure and saw the collapse of the Syrian economy, the surging prices of basic needs, the plummeting of the Syrian pound, the destruction of many hospitals nationwide, the deterioration in the functionality of some medical equipment due to the lack of spare parts and maintenance, and shortages of drugs and medical supplies due to sanctions and corruption.

Population
In 2020, Syria's population was an estimated 17,500,657 decreasing from the pre-war population of 21,326,541 in 2010.

Life Expectancy at Birth
In 2019, the average life expectancy at birth for Syrians was 72.7 years, 67.9 for males, and 78.1 for females, compared to the average life expectancy in 1960, which was roughly 52 years. The dependency ratio in 2020 was 54.5, while the median age was 24.3 in 2021.

Burden of Diseases
Cardiovascular diseases accounted for the most deaths and disabilities in pre-war Syria. Nevertheless, conflict and terrorism were the number one cause of death and disability in 2017. Syria managed to reduce the percentage of DALYs lost to communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases from around 40% of all DALYs lost in 1990 to roughly 17% in 2010. This percentage was further lowered to around 7% in 2017, but that was mainly because of the increase of DALYs lost to the country's civil war.

Child Health
In 2019, the Infant mortality rate in Syria was at 17.9, which is higher than the pre-war number, but less than the world's average of 28.2. While the under-5 mortality rate was at 21.5 deaths also lower than the global average of 37.7. In 2009, low birth weight newborns accounted for 10% of all births.

Maternal Health
Since most births before the war were attended by skilled health workers (96.2%), the Maternal Mortality Ratio was as low as 26 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2009 when the world's average was 257. During the war, more pregnant women did not receive proper maternal care because of safety, accessibility and economic reasons. The numbers increased dramatically after the war reaching 31 maternal deaths in 2017.

Obesity
In 2017, the adult prevalence rate for obesity was 27.8, and in 2009 10% of children under 5 were obese. In 2016, Syria ranked 35th in the list of countries by body mass index, according to the World Health Organization data on Prevalence of Obesity, published in 2017.

Sanitation
In 2015, 95.7% of the population had access to sanitation and 90.1% of the population had access to clean water. Although water pollution poses a threat to the availability of clean water and sanitation, as analyses of water samples for ammonia, suspended solids and BOD in Aleppo's Quweiq River and the lower part of the Orontes exceeded the allowable limits. In the coastal region, wells used for drinking purposes are contaminated with high concentrations of nitrates and ammonia because of sewage discharge and use of fertilizers, as well as seawater intrusion into the fresh groundwater aquifers.

Smoking
Smoking in Syria is steadily increasing in popularity amongst Syrians, mainly in the forms of cigarettes or Narghiles. Syrians collectively spend about $600 million per year on tobacco consumption. In 2010, 20% of women and 60% of men smoke and 98% of the overall population is affected by passive smoking. Despite the assumption that smoking, specifically the narghile, is embedded in Syrian culture, this phenomenon has only recently become widespread.

Despite this, whatsoever, Smoking in Syria has been banned inside cafes (hookah bars), restaurants and other public spaces by a presidential decree which was issued on 12 October 2009 which went into effect on 21 April 2010. Syria was the first Arab country to introduce such a ban. The decree also outlaws smoking in schools, universities, health centers, sports halls, cinemas and theaters and on public transport. The restrictions include the narghile. According to the official Syrian Arab News Agency, fines for violating the ban range from LS 500 to LS 100,000 (US$11 to $2,169).

People under the age of 18 are not allowed to buy tobacco in Syria.

Healthcare System
Syria’s health system is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health. The system is relatively decentralized and focuses on offering primary healthcare at three levels: village, district, and provincial. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 1990 Syria had 41 general hospitals (33 public, 8 private), 152 specialized hospitals (16 public, 136 private), 391 rural health centers, 151 urban health centers, 79 rural health units, and 49 specialized health centers; hospital beds totaled 13,164 (77 percent public, 23 percent private), or 11 beds per 10,000 inhabitants. The number of state hospital beds reportedly fell between 1995 and 2001, while the population had an 18 percent increase, but the opening of new hospitals in 2002 caused the number of hospital beds to double.

WHO reported that in 1989 Syria had a total of 10,114 physicians, 3,362 dentists, and 14,816 nurses and midwives; in 1995 the rate of health professionals per 10,000 inhabitants was 10.9 physicians, 5.6 dentists, and 21.2 nurses and midwives. Despite overall improvements, Syria’s health system exhibits significant regional disparities in the availability of healthcare, especially between urban and rural areas. The number of private hospitals and doctors increased by 41 percent between 1995 and 2001 as a result of growing demand and growing wealth in a small sector of society. Almost all private health facilities are located in large urban areas such as Damascus, Aleppo, Tartus, and Latakia. However, during the war, and as a result of almost 600 attacks on healthcare facilities, more than 50% of the country's health infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, while around 70% of health workers have left the country.

Healthcare Financing
Out-of-pocket payments represent the leading source of healthcare financing in Syria. In 2008, out-of-pocket payments made up 61% of the total per capita expenditure on health in the country. The majority of these costs go to private healthcare providers. Despite the above-average health indicators, Syria's total expenditure on health is among the lowest in the region, and public healthcare facilities provide low-quality services and suffer from corruption. Additionally, The pooling function of the healthcare financing system is highly fragmented, and the country has not implemented national health insurance.