Introduction

WATAN’s Health sector has been operational since 2012, working towards improving the health systems in Northern West Syria (NWS). The foundation aims to create sustainable solutions that cater to the specific needs of the local communities by building a response based on the unique characteristics and resources of the area. The sector includes primary healthcare, emergency response for COVID-19, blood bank and thalassemia clinics services, orthopedic surgery, and telehealth, all provided by healthcare professionals and community outreach workers. With a focus on the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach areas, WATAN operates three primary health care centers, Al-Amal Hospital for Orthopedic Surgery, and three blood banks, offering essential services such as medical consultations, health promotion, distribution of medicines and consumables, and specialized surgeries. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation also established CCTCs, distributed oxygen generators to health facilities, and provided telemedicine consultation services. Moreover, WATAN Foundation is researching the transition to local health financing in NWS to ensure the long-term sustainability of healthcare services in the region and empower local communities to take ownership of their health systems.H

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Primary healthcare

Providing essential services to improve the health and well-being of the Syrian population, particularly vulnerable and marginalized communities. Services include non-communicable disease management, infection prevention and control, sexual and reproductive health, and mental health support through a gap action program.

Secondary healthcare

Supporting Al-Amal Hospital, one of two specialized orthopedic surgical hospitals in North-West Syria, by providing orthopedic surgical interventions such as fracture fixation, joint replacement, and limb-saving surgeries after traumatic accidents. The aim is to reduce morbidity and mortality rates of trauma patients, improve patients’ livelihoods and earning potential, and decrease physical disability.

Blood banks and Thalassemia clinics

Operating well-organized blood banks with efficient transfusion services and providing comprehensive care and support to Thalassemia patients and their families. All donated blood is screened for transfusion-transmissible infections such as HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and syphilis.

Emergency response

Responding to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Cholera epidemic by establishing a COVID-19 Community Treatment Centre, managing three isolation centers for COVID-19 patients, providing Mobile Oxygen generators to serve a network of 17 hospitals in northern and western Aleppo, and managing three oral rehydration points for the treatment of mild Cholera patients.

WATAN is committed to improving the health and well-being of the communities it serves in North-West Syria by providing timely and efficient services to those in need.

Responding to earthquake

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck central Turkey and northwest Syria Feb 6, 2023, causing widespread damage in the building and huge number of the injuries. Watan took immediate action since the first hour of the earthquake, by announcing the emergency for medical staff and health facilities worked by WATAN. Al-Amal hospitals managed 1200 injuries who survived from EQ during 4 days after the disaster and 180 major surgeries were made for EQ victims’ patients.

SECTOR PHILOSOPHY AND DIFFERENTIATORS

Health sector programs and services are designed to address the health needs of individuals affected by disasters or conflicts in besieged or hard-to-reach areas by focusing on:

• Community involvement: The sector should involve the local community in the planning, implementation, and management of the health financing scheme. This can help ensure that the sector is responsive to the needs of the community and that there is buy-in from local stakeholders.
• Sustainability: The sector should be designed to be financially sustainable in the long term so that it can continue to support the health needs of the community even after external funding dries up.
• Flexibility: The sector should be flexible enough to accommodate different types of health financing mechanisms, such as pre-paid health schemes, community-based health insurance, or health savings accounts.
• Transparency and accountability: The sector should have clear financial and governance structures in place, and there should be transparency and accountability for the use of funds.
• Health outcomes: The sector should be designed to improve health outcomes for the community, and there should be mechanisms in place to monitor and evaluate the program’s impact.