Increase in Vector-Borne Disease Reporting Affecting Humans and Animals in Syria and Neighboring Countries Before and After the Onset of Conflict: A ProMED Analysis 2003-2018

The protracted conflict in Syria began with peaceful uprisings in March 2011 and escalated to violence by mid-2012. The conflict has led to the “weaponization” of healthcare with widespread, targeted destruction of health and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, severe overcrowding, and inadequate vaccination coverage and healthcare access (Fouad et al., 2017; Sparrow et al., 2016). Nearly 500 attacks on healthcare facil ities and the deaths of at least 800 healthcare workers have contributed to an environment in which communicable disease outbreaks have increased (Abbara et al., 2019; Alawieh et al., 2014; Al-Salem et al., 2016; Ismail et al., 2016; Omar, 2020; Sharara and Kanj, 2014).
Source: International Journal of Infectious Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Source Type: research