Between September 29 and December 28, 2024, Syria reported over 5 million health consultations, with 1 million being notifiable disease cases. Sentinel surveillance achieved high completeness and timeliness, while alerts indicated ongoing outbreaks of AWD and measles, predominantly affecting the population through Influenza Like Illnesses and Acute Diarrhea.

Between September 29 and December 28, 2024, the Whole of Syria Health Cluster reported a significant number of health consultations. During this period, a total of 5,116,138 consultations were recorded, of which 1,033,312 cases (20.2%) were classified as notifiable diseases. These data were compiled from both the Early Warning, Alert, and Response System (EWARS) and the Early Warning Alert and Response Network (EWARN) across Syria’s humanitarian operational areas, encompassing Northwest Syria (NWS) and Northeast Syria (NES).

A total of 1,942 sentinel surveillance sites contributed to EWARS and EWARN between epi-weeks 40 and 52, achieving an average completeness rate of 90.5% and a timeliness rate of 82%. The reporting system successfully raised 728 alerts, with 613 alerts attributed to EWARS and 115 to EWARN. Of these, 618 alerts were verified within a 72-hour timeframe, indicating an 85% verification rate. Notably, both Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) and measles outbreaks persist throughout the Whole of Syria region.

The distribution of reported notifiable disease cases during the same period illustrates the proportional morbidity observed. Among the reported cases, 1,033,312 notifiable disease instances were recorded; the leading causes of morbidity were Influenza Like Illnesses (ILI) at 708,641 cases (69%), followed by Acute Diarrhea (OAD) at 273,767 cases (27%). Additional reported conditions included Acute Jaundice Syndrome (AJS) at 15,070 cases (1%), Leishmaniasis at 13,406 cases (1%), and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) at 8,376 cases (1%).

The bulletin highlights the critical public health situation in Syria over the specified period, emphasizing the high volume of consultations and the prevalence of notifiable diseases. Continued outbreaks of AWD and measles underline the ongoing health challenges faced by the region. Measures to enhance alert verification and improve response rates are crucial for effective management of public health concerns in the area.

Original Source: reliefweb.int