Health Minister, WHO representative discuss contagious and communicable diseases warning program

Damascus, SANA – Health Minister Nizar Yazigi stressed the need to coordinate efforts in terms of contagious and communicable diseases warning program, response, and precautionary steps, particularly during winter.

Meeting resident representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Syria Elizabeth Hoff, Yazigi said the early warning program has been very effective in uncovering contagious cases early, and that the Ministry’s cooperation with various sides helped stop the spread of epidemic diseases and preserve public health.

The Minister said that the health system in Syria has managed during the past three decades to eliminate a number of contagious and communicable diseases in Syria such as malaria, schistosomiasis, and smallpox, in addition to making progress in eliminating measles and other deadly diseases, but the advent of terrorists from over 80 countries – some of which came from areas rife with diseases – has had a detrimental effect on the health sector, not to mention the methodical terrorist attacks against the health sector’s infrastructure.

Yazigi asserted that the Ministry is committed to providing medicine for chronic and communicable diseases and ensuring their availability.

For her part, Hoff lauded the Ministry’s efforts to combat contagious and communicable diseases, affirming that the WHO will continue to support these efforts to prevent the spread of diseases, especially diseases transmitted via water.

Hazem Sabbagh

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