Politicization of water, humanitarian response, and health in Syria as a contributor to the ongoing cholera outbreak
International Journal of Infectious Diseases·
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ijid.2023.03.042
- PMID
- 36990201
- PMCID
- —
- OpenAlex
- W4360999403
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The article highlights that cholera outbreaks are entirely preventable and that Syria's outbreak illustrates how violation of the right to health during armed conflict creates conditions for preventable disease emergence. The earthquakes raise urgent concerns that cholera transmission, especially in northwest Syria, may become uncontrolled.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
This article examines how the politicization of water, humanitarian response, and health systems in Syria has contributed to the cholera outbreak that began in September 2022.
Study design
This is a narrative commentary analyzing the context and contributing factors to Syria's ongoing cholera outbreak through the lens of conflict-related infrastructure and health system disruption.
Population and setting
The analysis covers populations across Syria, with particular focus on northwest Syria, in the context of protracted conflict, drought, floods, and the early 2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquakes.
Main findings
The cholera outbreak, declared in September 2022 following a surge in acute watery diarrhea cases, reflects systematic interference with WASH infrastructure and politicization of humanitarian response throughout the conflict. Environmental stressors including droughts, floods, and the 2023 earthquakes have compounded WASH deficiencies. The outbreak occurs within a setting where health care has been weaponized, attacks on health infrastructure are routine, and syndromic surveillance and outbreak response have been politically restricted.
Public-health relevance
The article highlights that cholera outbreaks are entirely preventable and that Syria's outbreak illustrates how violation of the right to health during armed conflict creates conditions for preventable disease emergence. The earthquakes raise urgent concerns that cholera transmission, especially in northwest Syria, may become uncontrolled.
Important limitations
This summary relies on the supplied single-article abstract and metadata and requires review of the full article for decision-grade interpretation of the outbreak analysis and its implications.
GIDS interpretation
The article is indexed under cholera, Syria, and outbreak investigation topics, making it discoverable through disease-specific and geographic queries related to cholera surveillance in the Middle East region and conflict-affected settings.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 9 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.