Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has launched a new project to provide costly chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and hormonal drugs for patients with cancer at oncology centers in northern Syria for five months, as part of its humanitarian efforts to alleviate the suffering of patients with cancer in Syria.
QRCS said in a statement Sunday that there is a significant gap in specialized health care services in northern Syria, exacerbated by the prolonged conflict and unaffordable prices of cancer drugs.
The project is expected to help reduce mortality rates and health complications among patients with cancer and ease the burden on local health care facilities by reducing the need to refer patients for treatment abroad, QRCS added.
The project includes the supply and distribution of essential cancer treatment drugs, expected to directly benefit 112 patients with cancer over the five-month period, in addition to 560 indirect beneficiaries from the families of patients and the local community.
The drugs include chemotherapy and immunotherapy, and will be supplied, distributed, and examined for quality in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the health directorates in Idlib and Aleppo.
In this context, Assistant Secretary-General for Relief and International Development at QRCS Mohamed Bader Al Sada said, "Given the high mortality rates and limited resources, there remains a need for more support to address the gap and provide early detection and treatment services for various types of cancer."
Al Sada revealed preparations for a new project to provide chemotherapy and immunotherapy drugs for 400 displaced and poor patients with cancer at oncology centers in Syria.
"A donation of just QR 10,000 can save the life of a patient, after years of suffering and pain from cancer," he emphasized.
This intervention builds on a previous project, implemented by QRCS in 2024, to provide drugs and medical supplies for more than 900 patients with cancer. It also involved supporting cancer treatment centers with medical equipment and training for health care personnel.
