November 12th marks World Pneumonia Day, an international health event recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. This year’s theme, “Every Breath Matters,” serves as a reminder that protecting the right to life begins with ensuring primary healthcare and a clean environment for the most vulnerable.
We in the Syrian Future Movement commemorate this occasion with heightened national and humanitarian responsibility as winter approaches. We draw attention to the grave health risks threatening children and the elderly in our country and present our progressive and civic vision for rebuilding the preventive healthcare system during this transitional phase.
The Syrian Future Movement bases its findings on the latest reports and statistics issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for 2026, which document the scale of the critical health and environmental challenges.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that pneumonia remains the leading infectious cause of death among children under five globally, claiming the lives of more than 700,000 children annually—one child every 43 seconds. The vast majority of these deaths occur in environments suffering from economic fragility, air pollution, and inadequate primary healthcare.
The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes that the continued decline in the preparedness of the health sector in Syria, with estimates indicating that more than 15.3 million Syrians will be in dire need of direct health assistance by 2026, coupled with the fact that approximately 45% of health facilities are either completely or partially out of service and there is a severe shortage of medical personnel and life-saving medications, places millions of citizens at grave risk with the onset of winter.
The Syrian Future Movement stresses that the spread of environmental pollution within Syria and in displacement camps, resulting from the forced reliance on primitive heating methods, unclean fuels, emissions from incinerators, and industrial pollutants, exacerbates the rates of acute respiratory illnesses among children, women, and the elderly, making the issue of “health and environmental security” an urgent priority.
Based on its national approach and with a forward-looking vision that considers the requirements of sustainable recovery and building a state based on institutions, the Syrian Future Movement puts forward the following recommendations:
- The Syrian Future Movement believes it is essential to launch an urgent “Winter Health Emergency Plan” in cooperation with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and other active humanitarian organizations. This plan should ensure the provision of essential vaccines (such as the pneumococcal vaccine), antibiotics, and oxygen equipment in all primary healthcare centers, remote areas, and displacement camps without any administrative or political obstacles.
- The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes the close link between public health and environmental justice. It calls for the provision of clean and safe energy alternatives for heating, the expansion of renewable energy projects, and the reduction of air pollutants, considering the “right to clean air” a fundamental human right that protects future generations from chronic and infectious diseases.
- The Syrian Future Movement proposes the establishment of the “National Authority for Preventive Health and the Environment,” an independent civil and technical body comprising physicians, public health experts, and representatives of civil society. This authority would be responsible for building an accurate epidemiological database, monitoring the quality of primary healthcare, and ensuring the equitable and transparent distribution of medical resources, free from corruption and favoritism.
- The Syrian Future Movement is committed to promoting the modernization of community health awareness programs, integrating environmental prevention and primary healthcare concepts into educational curricula and civic activities, and empowering young medical professionals through advanced training programs to build a resilient healthcare system capable of protecting the Syrian people and preserving their dignity. The Syrian Future Movement believes that building the future of Syria begins with protecting the right of every Syrian child to breathe clean air and enjoy dignified and equitable healthcare, and culminates in political pluralism and guaranteeing the freedom and dignity of every Syrian on their land.
