Syrian Arab Republic experiencing severe shortages in medicines and pharmaceutical products

8 August 2012, Cairo, Egypt – The World Health Organization is reporting severe shortages in medicines and pharmaceutical products in the Syrian Arab Republic as a result of the current crisis. More than 90% of medicines in the Syrian Arab Republic were locally produced before the unrest began in February 2011. Since then, economic sanctions, currency fluctuations, difficulty in the availability of hard currency and an increase in operational costs have negatively affected the production of medicines and pharmaceutical products. The recent escalation of clashes has impacted pharmaceutical plants in Rural Aleppo, Homs and Rural Damascus, where 90% of the country’s plants are located. Many of these plants have now closed as a result of the ongoing clashes and increased cost of fuel, resulting in a critical shortage of medicines and other life-saving pharmaceutical products. Syrian Ministry of Health statistics show that prior to the unrest, 52.7% of the population was receiving treatment for gastrointestinal diseases, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, renal diseases and cancer. Many of these patients are still dependent on locally produced medicines that are now no longer obtainable, and the reported shortages could have catastrophic results. Urgently needed medicines identified by the World Health Organization and the Syrian Ministry of Health include those for tuberculosis, hepatitis, and other chronic health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, thalass...
Source: WHO EMRO - Press releases - Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news