The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, through its Centre for Environmental Health Action (CEHA), in collaboration with the WHO Country Office and the Ministry of Health in the Syrian Arab  Republic, successfully concluded a 5-day national forum on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in health care facilities.

Held in Damascus from 12 to 16 October, the forum included stakeholders, representatives from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), donor agencies, embassies and national and international non-governmental organizations, united by a shared commitment to improving WASH services in health care settings across Syria.

The first 4 days of the forum featured a training of trainers (ToT) workshop for 40 professionals from the Ministry of Health. Led by Dr Rola Al-Emam, Technical Officer on WASH, and Eng. Sohaib Abu Hamoor, Senior Technical Assistant on WASH, the sessions included interactive learning, group exercises and practical demonstrations. Participants were trained to assess, prioritize and enhance WASH services using WHO’s Water and sanitation for health facility improvement tool (WASH FIT).

A field visit to Al-Zahera Al-Jadeeda Comprehensive Health Care Centre provided hands-on experience in applying WASH FIT indicators and developing tailored improvement plans.