Iraq crisis

The humanitarian crisis in Iraq remains one of the largest and most volatile in the world. Conflict has destroyed livelihoods and infrastructure, and many have been threatened, displaced and injured. Over the past years, Iraq’s health system has faced enormous challenges as a result of shortages in basic and essential health services, weakened infrastructure, and limited supplies and health workforce.

For many years, WHO’s priority work in Iraq was focused on responding to urgent health needs as a result of the ongoing crisis, from basic emergency healthcare, as well as specialized trauma care, to delivering emergency vaccinations. Through its various programmes, WHO is currently work on revitalizing, strengthening and sustaining the Iraqi health system based on primary health care, in a multitude of programmes and areas like maternal and child health, adolescent and school health, nutrition, tackling communicable and non-communicable diseases, strengthening implementation of the International Health Regulations and mental health.