Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Damascus, SANA – The first batch of 10 ambulances presented by the World Health Organization (WHO) arrived at Lattakia Port, said Resident Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Syria Elizabeth Hoff.
The remarks came during Hoff’s meeting with Health Minister Nizar Yazigi where the two sides stressed continuous efforts to meet the Syrian citizens’ health needs and provide health facilities and centers with necessary medical equipment, medicine and ambulances.
Hoff indicated that the WHO will continue its support to national vaccination campaigns, especially in remote and hard-to-reach areas, reiterating commitment to cooperate with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent in evacuating patients and providing medical treatment to them.
For his part, Yaziji asked the Organization to provide the ministry with vaccines, particularly bivalent oral polio vaccine (BOPV), as part of the transition plan adopted by the ministry in regard to WHA resolutions issued in the 68th session urging member states to prepare for a worldwide transfer from widely used trivalent oral polio vaccine (OPV) to a bivalent version.
He noted that the public hospitals affiliated to the ministry still provide free medical services to all citizens, including those who were referred from other hospitals.
Minister Yazigi stressed that Syria will participate in the 69th session of World Health Assembly due to be held on 23rd May at the UN headquarters in Geneva.
He also pointed out to Syria’s participation in the upcoming World Immunization Week from April 24 to 28, organized within the framework of the annual global initiative led by the WHA member states in cooperation with the WHO and its partners to mark this occasion which will be accompanied with media and awareness-raising activities.
In the last week of April every year, countries of the world mark the World Immunization Week with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of improving vaccination delivery services and increasing rates of immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases. According to the WHO statistics, about 21.8 million infants around the world are deprived from basic vaccines.
R. Raslan / Ghossoun
