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UNRWA Health-Care Services Cover Basic Medical Needs of Palestine Refugees in Syria

10 January 2019

UNRWA provides primary health care, both preventative and curative, to all 438,000 Palestine refugees in Syria.

UNRWA health centres provide a range of primary medical services, including out-patient consultations, vaccinations, growth monitoring, provision of medicine, gynaecological consultations, laboratory services, non-communicable disease care, maternal and child health care and dental services. The Agency operates 17 health centres  offering the full range of Agency services, five health points (which operate in areas of displacement of Palestine refugees) and two mobile health clinics (which are able to deploy according to needs). Furthermore, the Agency provides support to Palestine refugees seeking secondary and tertiary health care through a system of referral to public hospitals. The provision of health care is possible due to the generosity of our donors, including the Government of Japan.

A patient visits the UNRWA health centre in Neirab Palestine refugee camp near Aleppo. In 2018, UNRWA carried out more than 840,000 health consultations. © 2018 UNRWA Photo by Ahmad Abo ZaidAn UNRWA doctor examines a patient at the health centre in Neirab camp UNRWA employs over 400 health staff in Syria, including doctors and nurses, at its 22 health facilities across Syria thanks to support from its donors, including the Government of Japan. © 2018 UNRWA Photo by Ahmad Abo Zaid“I have come for a check up on my son Majed, he was born three months ago. My water broke premature, and so UNRWA staff referred me to a nearby hospital for a caesarian,“ says Aliya Faour. Maternal and child health care are part of the services at all UNRWA health clinics. Majed also gets all his vaccinations at the clinic, as do his six-year-old brother Fathi and five-year-old Ahmed. © 2018 UNRWA Photo by Ahmad Abo ZaidUNRWA provides vaccinations to all Palestine refugee children in Syria. Last year, the UNRWA health department administered almost 170,000 vaccinations against tuberculosis, polio, hepatitis B, haemophilus influenza B, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles and rubella. Such vital care is possible thanks to the support from donors, including the Government of Japan.© 2018 UNRWA Photo by Ahmad Abo ZaidLittle Lana Abu Sweid is not so happy to be weighed. UNRWA supports new mothers with prenatal and antenatal care, growth monitoring, vaccinations health check-ups as well as providing them with a baby kit. In 2018, 7,450 Palestine refugee mothers gave birth. © 2018 UNRWA Photo by Ahmad Abo ZaidMohammed Ghana is coming in for a check-up after having open heart surgery at a hospital in Aleppo a few days previously. Palestine refugees who need operations are referred to local hospitals, with URNWA re-imbursing 75 to 95 per cent of the total cost, depending on the socio-economic status of the patient. Over 20,000 Palestine refugees were referred to hospitals for treatment last year. © 2018 UNRWA Photo by Ahmad Abo Zaid“I come here regularly to have my blood taken, I don’t mind if you take a picture, “says Bashira Jarbou, a patient at the UNRWA health center in Neirab Palestine refugee camp. Such routine tests are mostly carried out on patients with chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes. UNRWA takes care of more than 34,000 Palestine refugees suffering from these two diseases in Syria. © 2018 UNRWA Photo by Ahmad Abo ZaidAn in-house lab at the UNRWA health clinic in Neirab Palestine refugee camp near Aleppo processes blood samples taken from patients. Last year, UNRWA labs in Syria processed more than 250,000 tests. © 2018 UNRWA Photo by Ahmad Abo ZaidUNRWA provides dental care to Palestine refugees at 20 of its 22 health centres in Syria, as well as in its mobile health units. In 2018, UNRWA carried out more than 100,000 preventative and curative dental consultations. © 2018 UNRWA Photo by Ahmad Abo Zaid

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