Syria’s Ministry of Health and the Royal Norwegian Embassies in Syria and Lebanon hosted a high-level workshop in Damascus on 8 April to address the challenges and needs within Syria’s health sector. Following more than a decade of civil war, Syria is now united under one government, marking a pivotal moment for the country’s efforts to rebuild its health system. The event brought together a broad group of stakeholders, including government officials, representatives from NGOs and UN agencies, and technical experts, to discuss key issues, including the importance of scaling and expanding DHIS2 implementations for strengthening national health infrastructure.
A central theme of the workshop was the strategic role of digital health systems-particularly DHIS2-as a foundation for strengthening health system governance, improving data use, and supporting more equitable and efficient resource distribution. In his speech, Minister Alali emphasized the value of DHIS2 in northwest Syria as a key tool for evidence-based decision-making. He described the system as a strategic necessity, and reaffirmed the Ministry’s interest in expanding its use.
Representatives from HISP MENA (Middle East and North Africa), a regional DHIS2 implementation and capacity building partner based in Jordan (and member of the global HISP network), supported this workshop and shared insights from the group’s work in northwestern Syria and Damascus, and new efforts to unify the DHIS2 agenda in One Syria. HISP MENA has worked closely with partners in Syria and the broader region to support digital health transformation through DHIS2 system design, localization, and training. Their team was present in Damascus to provide technical input and continue discussions around the scale-up of DHIS2 within the country.
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