With the participation of Syria, a virtual meeting to accelerate work on undernutrition

On June 15th, Syria participated in the virtual meeting held by the Regional Office of the World Health Organization in Cairo with the aim of accelerating the work on undernutrition in the Middle East and North Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Arab region, especially in light of the deteriorating food situation globally.

In his speech, Minister of Health Dr. Hassan Al-Ghubash indicated that having a comprehensive nutrition strategy is a top priority during this stage.

Minister Al-Ghabash stressed the need to make infant and young child feeding a pivotal preventive strategy.

Minister Al-Ghabash stressed the need to continue the nutritional interventions currently implemented, such as adopting community management programs for acute malnutrition and expanding nutritional surveillance programs, in addition to raising the rate of parental breastfeeding.

Minister Al-Ghabash explained the importance of promoting health education on infant feeding, reactivating the Child-Friendly Hospital Initiative and not neglecting nutrition in the first thousand days of the life of a child that extends from the beginning of pregnancy until the child is two years old.

Minister Al-Ghabash pointed to the importance of continuing nutritional assistance, especially supplies for the prevention of micronutrient deficiencies, especially (iron – vitamin A – iodine), the prevention of malnutrition, the promotion of optimal nutrition through the mother and child nutrition, and treatment in clinics and hospitals aimed at acute malnutrition within the community management program for cases of acute malnutrition.

Representatives of relevant ministries and institutions from the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa region and a number of representatives of relevant international organizations participated in the meeting.

O. al-Mohammad