In a landmark joint initiative, Syria’s Ministries of Health and Finance today signed the National Health Charter—a sweeping national strategy aimed at rebuilding the country’s decimated healthcare system and achieving universal health coverage for all citizens by 2030.
The Charter was officially signed by: Dr Musab al-Ali, Minister of Health and Mohammed Yasser Barniya, Minister of Finance.
The document outlines five strategic pillars:
- Rehabilitation of health infrastructure—including hospitals, clinics, and primary care centres
- Capacity-building and training of medical and administrative personnel
- Sustainable health financing mechanisms, including the establishment of a national health insurance system
- Strengthening health security and epidemic preparedness
- Full digital transformation of the health sector
The overarching objectives are to significantly reduce the out-of-pocket health expenditure burden on Syrian families—currently among the highest in the region—and to raise the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Service Coverage Index to levels comparable with middle-income countries.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Health Minister Dr Musab al-Ali stated:
“Our primary objective is to ensure that every Syrian citizen can access essential, high-quality health services without enduring major financial hardship. We will achieve this through systematic rehabilitation of health facilities and the creation of a transparent, sustainable financing model centred on social health insurance.”
Dr al-Ali also revealed that Syria will present its commitments under the Charter at an upcoming global health conference in Tokyo, where Damascus will seek both technical assistance and financial backing from international partners.
Finance Minister Mohammed Yasser Barniya described the Charter as a new model of “health-finance partnership,” commenting:
“This Charter represents a unified vision to enhance service delivery and expand health insurance until universal coverage becomes a reality. It is, at its core, a financial-health compact designed to protect families from catastrophic healthcare costs and guarantee every Syrian a dignified standard of living.”
The launch of the National Health Charter marks one of the most ambitious social policy initiatives undertaken by the transitional government, underscoring a clear commitment to place equitable, state-guaranteed healthcare at the heart of Syria’s post-war reconstruction and development agenda.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
