IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/palcom/v10y2023i1d10.1057_s41599-023-01898-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Health system recovery in Northwest Syria–challenges and operationalization

Author

Listed:
  • Orwa Al-Abdulla

    (University of Eastern Finland
    Strategic Research Center (ÖZ SRC) – Turkey)

  • Abdulkarim Ekzayez

    (King’s College London
    Syria Public Health Network (SPHN))

  • Agneta Kallström

    (University of Eastern Finland
    Strategic Research Center (ÖZ SRC) – Turkey)

  • Camilo Valderrama

    (Indpendent researcher)

  • Maher Alaref

    (University of Eastern Finland
    Strategic Research Center (ÖZ SRC) – Turkey)

  • Jussi Kauhanen

    (University of Eastern Finland)

Abstract

The demonstrations in Syria in 2011 became an uncompromising conflict that divided the country into three main areas of control: governmental areas, northeast Syria, and Northwest Syria. A series of United Nations resolutions adopted in 2014 authorizing official cross-border humanitarian aid in opposition-held areas to allow humanitarian agencies and organizations to use routes across the border from neighborhood countries like Turkey to deliver humanitarian assistance to people in need in Syria. The resolution was extended annually until 2021 when it was adapted to involve a cross-line humanitarian response from governmental areas besides cross-border operations. The last adaptation of the cross-border resolution, whose original form was interpreted as a politicized action by Russia and China, implicates an unframed and unplanned transition from an emergency to an Early Recovery status. Without an appropriate framework for the current geopolitical complexity in Syria, Early Recovery programs are doomed to fail, resulting in further complications in the political and humanitarian scenes. Moreover, the effectiveness of the cross-line mechanism is questionable, considering the lack of accessibility and acceptability for Damascus-based humanitarian operations in areas out of government control. The article reviews studies about Early Recovery guidelines and operational frameworks of health systems recovery in post-conflict settings to derive a practical and hybrid framework for operationalizing health system recovery in Northwest Syria, considering current geopolitical and humanitarian circumstances. This article draws upon the six building blocks of the health system, the essential package of public health services, Early Recovery integration criteria, health system resilience dimensions in the literature, and public health determinants to identify context-specific health system recovery challenges and priorities. As a result, we introduce a new health system recovery framework, which is operationalized for the context of Northwest Syria.

Suggested Citation

  • Orwa Al-Abdulla & Abdulkarim Ekzayez & Agneta Kallström & Camilo Valderrama & Maher Alaref & Jussi Kauhanen, 2023. "Health system recovery in Northwest Syria–challenges and operationalization," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:10:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-023-01898-2
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-023-01898-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-023-01898-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41599-023-01898-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Josephine Borghi & Garrett W. Brown, 2022. "Taking Systems Thinking to the Global Level: Using the WHO Building Blocks to Describe and Appraise the Global Health System in Relation to COVID‐19," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 13(2), pages 193-207, May.
    2. Salti, Nisreen & Chaaban, Jad & Moussa, Wael & Irani, Alexandra & Al Mokdad, Rima & Jamaluddine, Zeina & Ghattas, Hala, 2022. "The impact of cash transfers on Syrian refugees in Lebanon: Evidence from a multidimensional regression discontinuity design," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    3. Filipov, Filip, 2006. "Post-conflict peacebuilding: strategies and lessons from Bosnia and Herzegovina, El Salvador and Sierra Leone," Políticas Sociales 6127, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    4. Suzanna Huber & Eva Mach, 2019. "Policies for increased sustainable energy access in displacement settings," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 4(12), pages 1000-1002, December.
    5. Turenne, Charlotte Pailliard & Gautier, Lara & Degroote, Stéphanie & Guillard, Etienne & Chabrol, Fanny & Ridde, Valéry, 2019. "Conceptual analysis of health systems resilience: A scoping review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 232(C), pages 168-180.
    6. Chaudhuri, Anoshua & Roy, Kakoli, 2008. "Changes in out-of-pocket payments for healthcare in Vietnam and its impact on equity in payments, 1992-2002," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(1), pages 38-48, October.
    7. Francesco Colona & Rivke Jaffe, 2016. "Hybrid Governance Arrangements," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 28(2), pages 175-183, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ray, Manojit & Chakraborty, Basab, 2022. "Impact of demand flexibility and tiered resilience on solar photovoltaic adoption in humanitarian settlements," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 895-912.
    2. Ruhnke, Simon A. & Hertner, Laura & Köhler, Judith & Kluge, Ulrike, 2024. "Social ecological determinants of the mental distress among Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Turkey: A transnational perspective," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 346(C).
    3. Bereket Yakob & Busisiwe Purity Ncama, 2016. "Correlates of perceived access and implications for health system strengthening – lessons from HIV/AIDS treatment and care services in Ethiopia," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(8), pages 1-19, August.
    4. Ahrens, Achim & Casalis, Marine & Hangartner, Dominik & Sánchez, Rodrigo, 2024. "Cash-based interventions improve multidimensional integration outcomes of Venezuelan immigrants," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    5. Nguyen, Kim Thuy & Hai Khuat, Oanh Thi & Ma, Shuangge & Pham, Duc Cuong & Hong Khuat, Giang Thi & Ruger, Jennifer Prah, 2012. "Coping with health care expenses among poor households: Evidence from a rural commune in Vietnam," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(5), pages 724-733.
    6. Duccio Baldi & Magda Moner-Girona & Elena Fumagalli & Fernando Fahl, 2022. "Planning sustainable electricity solutions for refugee settlements in sub-Saharan Africa," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 7(4), pages 369-379, April.
    7. Nadeem A. Burney & Mohammad Alenezi & Nadia Al-Musallam & Ahmed Al-Khayat, 2016. "The demand for medical care services: evidence from Kuwait based on households’ out-of-pocket expenses," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(28), pages 2636-2650, June.
    8. Akaateba, Millicent Awialie & Huang, Huang & Adumpo, Emile Akangoa, 2018. "Between co-production and institutional hybridity in land delivery: Insights from local planning practice in peri-urban Tamale, Ghana," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 215-226.
    9. Leight, Jessica & Hirvonen, Kalle & Zafar, Sarim, 2024. "The effectiveness of cash and cash plus interventions on livelihoods outcomes: Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis," OSF Preprints dnc2r, Center for Open Science.
    10. Cho, Sun Mi & Park, Chan-ung & Song, Min, 2020. "The evolution of social health research topics: A data-driven analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    11. Quan-Hoang Vuong & Tung-Manh Ho & Hong-Kong Nguyen & Thu-Trang Vuong, 2018. "Healthcare consumers’ sensitivity to costs: a reflection on behavioural economics from an emerging market," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 4(1), pages 1-10, December.
    12. Vo, Thang T. & Van, Pham Hoang, 2019. "Can health insurance reduce household vulnerability? Evidence from Viet Nam," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 1-1.
    13. Thomas, P.J.M. & Sandwell, P. & Williamson, S.J. & Harper, P.W., 2021. "A PESTLE analysis of solar home systems in refugee camps in Rwanda," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    14. Pandey, Anamika & Clarke, Lynda & Dandona, Lalit & Ploubidis, George B., 2018. "Inequity in out-of-pocket payments for hospitalisation in India: Evidence from the National Sample Surveys, 1995–2014," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 201(C), pages 136-147.
    15. Biplab Dhak, 2015. "Demographic Change and Catastrophic Health Expenditure in India," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 122(3), pages 723-733, July.
    16. Hubert Amu & Kwamena Sekyi Dickson, 2016. "Health insurance subscription among women in reproductive age in Ghana: do socio-demographics matter?," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-8, December.
    17. Hubert Amu & Kwamena Sekyi Dickson & Akwasi Kumi-Kyereme & Eugene Kofuor Maafo Darteh, 2018. "Understanding variations in health insurance coverage in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania: Evidence from demographic and health surveys," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(8), pages 1-14, August.
    18. Jaime Moreno-Serna & Teresa Sánchez-Chaparro & Leda Stott & Javier Mazorra & Ruth Carrasco-Gallego & Carlos Mataix, 2021. "Feedback Loops and Facilitation: Catalyzing Transformational Multi-Stakeholder Refugee Response Partnerships," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-21, October.
    19. Mai Wardeh & Rui Cunha Marques, 2023. "Measuring the SDGs in Refugee Camps: An Insight into Arab States Bordering Syria," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-26, January.
    20. Agar Brugiavini & Noemi Pace, 2016. "Extending health insurance in Ghana: effects of the National Health Insurance Scheme on maternity care," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-10, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:10:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-023-01898-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.nature.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.