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other·pulmonology, epidemiology, public health, pediatrics, infectious disease·PMC10510865

Impact of the Syrian conflict and forced displacement on respiratory health: an analysis of primary data from a humanitarian organisation

BMJ Open Respiratory Research · 11 authors, 4 centres

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TL;DR

This study performed a retrospective review of routinely collected clinical data from 48 Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) facilities in northwest Syria between March 2017 and June 2020.

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This study performed a retrospective review of routinely collected clinical data from 48 Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) facilities in northwest Syria between March 2017 and June 2020. A steep decrease in respiratory consultations occurred between late 2019 and early 2020, coinciding with increased violence and population displacement in Idlib. Limitations include the use of potentially incomplete routine data from a single humanitarian organisation, which precludes determining true prevalence or incidence in the general population.

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other

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pulmonology

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ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10510865

Impact of the Syrian conflict and forced displacement on respiratory health: an analysis of primary data from a humanitarian organisation

BMJ Open Respiratory Research

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ABSTRACT

Abstract Background Despite a decade of conflict, there has been little exploration of respiratory health in Syria, notwithstanding the known impacts of conflict on lung health. Our aim is to explore the burden and trends of respiratory consultations in Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) facilities in northwest Syria through an ecological analysis. Methods We performed a retrospective review of routinely collected data relating to respiratory presentations in SAMS’ facilities between March 2017 and June 2020; we compared data by facility type, infectious versus non-infectious aetiologies and age. Results Data were available for 5 058 864 consultations, of which 1 228 722 (24%) were respiratory presentations, across 22 hospitals, 22 primary healthcare centres, 3 mobile clinics and 1 polyclinic. The median number of respiratory consultations per month was 30 279 (IQR: 25 792–33 732). Key findings include: 73% of respiratory consultations were for children; respiratory presentations accounted for up to 38% of consultations each month, seasonal variation was evident; respiratory tract infections accounted for 91% of all respiratory presentations. A steep decrease in consultations occurred between the end of 2019 (160 000) and the first quarter of 2020 (90 000), correlating with an escalation of violence in Idlib governorate. Conclusion This study presents the largest quantitative analysis of respiratory data collected during the Syrian conflict. It supports the need for improved measures to aid the prevention, diagnosis and management of respiratory conditions during conflict as well as further research to explore the impact of conflict on respiratory health. Keywords: Respiratory Infection, Asthma, COPD epidemiology

CITATION EXPORT

Lena Basha, Alex Socarras, Mohammed Waseem Akhter et al.. Impact of the Syrian conflict and forced displacement on respiratory health: an analysis of primary data from a humanitarian organisation. BMJ Open Respiratory Research. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjresp-2023-001636

AUTHORS

11 · 4 CENTRES

Lena Basha, Alex Socarras, Mohammed Waseem Akhter, Mohamed Hamze, Ahmad Albaik, Imad Hussein, Ahmad Tarakji, Mufaddal Hamadeh, Randa Loutfi, Mazen Kewara, Aula Abbara

1 School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
2 Research Department, Syrian American Medical Society, Washington, DC, USA
3 Information Department, Syrian American Medical Society, Gaziantep, Turkey
4 Department of Infection, Imperial College London, London, UK