Syria: When treatment is within reach at Sharan Primary Health Care Centre

Country: Syrian Arab Republic Source: World Health Organization 9 September 2026, Aleppo, Syrian Arab Republic – When Hanifa Issa first noticed the symptoms of leishmaniasis on her skin, the condition brought more than physical discomfort. It also brought worry. After seeking care at Sharan Primary Health Care Centre, she was examined, diagnosed and began receiving treatment. “At first, I was worried about what was happening to my skin and whether it would get worse, ” Hanifa says. “Once I knew what it was and that I could receive treatment here, I felt I could deal with it. ” Leishmaniasis is a disease spread by infected sandflies that causes sores on the skin. With the right diagnosis and treatment, it can be managed effectively. For Hanifa, that has meant returning to the centre as health workers monitor her condition and support her through treatment. “Each visit gives me more confidence, ” she says. “I know the team is following my condition, and I know I can come back if I am concerned. ” Hanifa’s experience reflects an important part of primary health care that can be easy to overlook: identifying a health problem is only the beginning. People also need to be able to access the treatment prescribed and continue it for as long as necessary. Care that continues beyond the consultation room Mohammad Bayraq knows that well. He had been living with a chronic health problem that was affecting his ability to go about daily life before he sought treatment at Sharan Primary Health Care Centre. After his condition was assessed, he began receiving care and continued to be followed by the medical team. “When something affects you every day, you start adjusting your life around it, ” Mohammad says. “I reached a point where I wanted to know whether something could be done. ” For Mohammad, receiving treatment was only one part of the experience. Regular contact with the doctors and nurses also gave him greater reassurance as he managed a condition that had been troubling him for a long time. “It matters to know that someone is following your condition, ” he says. “You are not just given something and sent away. You can come back, ask questions and see whether things are improving. ” For others, the need for care can arise more suddenly. Abeera Al-Jassem came to Sharan after becoming unwell. The medical team assessed her condition, provided the treatment she needed and gave her guidance on how to continue caring for herself as she recovered. “When you suddenly feel unwell, you want to know what is happening and what you should do next, ” Abeera says. “I was examined, received the treatment I needed and was told what to watch for afterwards. ” For her, being able to receive that care without the added worry of how to pay for treatment also mattered. “When you are already worried about your health, the cost of care can become another concern, ” she says. “Being able to receive the treatment here took some of that pressure away. ” Making sure treatment reaches the patient At the centre’s pharmacy, Abeer Haj Abdo sees the final step of many of these consultations. As a pharmacist at Sharan Primary Health Care Centre, she dispenses medicines prescribed by clinicians and explains how they should be taken, including the correct dose and timing. Medicines are provided free of charge to people receiving services at the centre. “A prescription is only useful if the patient understands how to use the medicine correctly, ” Abeer says. “We explain the dose, when to take it and anything they need to pay attention to. ” That conversation can be especially important for people managing chronic conditions or treatments that need to be continued over time. “Sometimes people have questions they did not think to ask during the consultation, ” she says. “The pharmacy is another opportunity to make sure they understand their treatment before they go home. ” For Abeer, that is what makes the pharmacy part of the care team rather than simply the place where medicines are handed over. “Our role is to help make sure the treatment prescribed by the doctor can actually be followed, ” she says. “When medicines are available and people understand how to take them, the care they received in the consultation can continue at home. ” Sharan Primary Health Care Centre is one of 70 primary health care centres across Aleppo, Idlib, Hama and Homs supported through a WHO project funded by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief). The project helps keep centres operational through support to health workers and selected operating costs, alongside medicines, medical supplies and specialized services. Across the project, around 800 medical and non-medical personnel are supported, including more than 450 physicians, nurses and other health professionals. Working with the Ministry of Health and health partners, WHO is also supporting efforts to strengthen more integrated primary health care services in Syria, so that assessment, treatment, medicines and follow-up are better connected. At Sharan, that connection is visible in everyday care: Hanifa returning for treatment, Mohammad continuing to manage a long-term health problem, Abeera receiving care when she became unwell, and Abeer making sure patients leave the pharmacy knowing how to use the medicines they have been prescribed. For patients, the value is not simply reaching a health facility. It is being able to move from a health concern to diagnosis, treatment and the support needed to continue getting better.

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