An early warning and response system for Syria

摘要

The conflict in Syria has continued for more than 2 years: many Syrians have fled to escape the fighting (more than 5 million people have been internally displaced and about 2 million refugees are in neighbouring countries),and the Syrian health-care system has been badly affected by the crisis.With huge population movements, substantial decreases in vaccination coverage, and deterioration of water and sanitation systems, the risk of epidemic-prone diseases is high. Epidemics pose a threat to health not only within Syria, but also in neighbouring countries. Public health surveillance is crucial to avert epidemics in emergency situations.