Overcrowding, unsafe sanitation, restricted movement and limited access to secondary health care all contribute to the significant public health challenges faced by more than 42 000 refugees and internally displaced individuals living at Al-Hol Camp in northeast Syria.

Conditions have led to repeated outbreaks of infectious diseases, placing immense strain on medical services and public health surveillance. The resurgence of cholera in 2024 underscored the urgent need to enhance surveillance and early detection systems.

In response to the outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with local health partners, launched a community-based initiative aimed at strengthening disease surveillance within the camp. Starting on 15 November 2024, WHO began integrating community-based surveillance (CBS) into the existing Early Warning, Alert and Response System (EWARS), enabling the rapid detection and reporting of diseases like acute watery diarrhea (AWD) through community channels.