Nutrition Landscape Information System (NLiS)


Syrian Arab Republic

NLiS Country Profile: Syrian Arab Republic

Child Malnutrition

Child (<5 y) Anthropometry
Indicator Year Value
Low birth weight (<2500 g) (%)   no data
Overweight (BMI-for-age >+1 SD) in school-age children and adolescents 5-19 years (%) 2016 28.3

Malnutrition in Women

Female malnutrition based on BMI

Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies

Indicator Year Value
Anaemia children <5 y (Hb <110 g/L) (%) 2016 34.9
Anaemia in non-pregnant women (Hb <120 g/L) (%) 2016 33.5
Anaemia in pregnant women (Hb <110 g/L) (%) 2016 36.1
Anaemia in women of reproductive age (%) 2016 33.6
Clinical vitamin A deficiency in women (history of night blindness during most recent pregnancy) (%)   no data
Median urinary iodine concentration in children 6-12 years (μg/L)   no data
Subclinical vitamin A deficiency in preschool-age children (serum/plasma retinol <0.70 μmol/L) (%)   no data

Health Services

Indicator Year Value
Births attended by skilled health personnel (%) 2009 96.2
Population using improved drinking-water sources (%) 2015 90.1
Population using improved sanitation facility (%) 2015 95.7
Children aged 1 year immunized against measles (%) 2016 62.0
Any antenatal iron supplementation (%)   no data
Children <5 years with diarrhoea receiving ORT (%) 2006 67.7
Children with diarrhoea receiving zinc (%)   no data
Children aged 6-59 months receiving vitamin A supplements (dose 1) (%)   no data
Children aged 6-59 months receiving vitamin A supplements (dose 2) (%)   no data
Births in baby-friendly facilities (%) 2016 27.4
Mothers of children 0-23 months receiving counselling, support or messages on optimal breastfeeding at least once in the last year (%)   no data

Food Security

Indicator Year Value
Households consuming adequately iodized salt (15 parts per million or more) (%) 2009 65.4
Population below the international poverty line (%) 2004 1.7

Caring Practices

Indicator Year Value
Early initiation of breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth (%) 2009 45.5
Introduction to solid, semi-solid or soft foods in infants 6-8 months (%) 2006 43.8
Minimum acceptable diet (MAD) in children 6-23 months (%)   no data
Children with diarrhoea <5 y receiving oral rehydration therapy (ORT) and continued feeding (%) 2006 34.0
No breastfeeding data available for this country

Commitment

Indicator Year Value
General government expenditure on health as % of total government expenditure 2014 4.8
Total expenditure on health as % of gross domestic product 2014 3.3
Per capita total expenditure on health (US$) 2014 375.9
Nutrition component of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF)   no data
Nutrition component of Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP)   no data
Nutrition Governance score   no data
Maternity leave 2013 17 weeks
International Code on Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes: Legal status of the Code 2018 Many provisions in law

Capacity

Indicator Year Value
Degree training in nutrition exists 2016-2017 Yes
Nutrition is part of medical curricula 2016-2017 No
Nutrition professionals density (per 100,000 population) 2016-2017 10.7
Nursing and midwifery personnel density per 1,000 population 2014 2.3
GDP per capita (PPP US$)   no data
GDP per capita annual growth rate (%) 2007 1.3
Official development assistance (ODA) received (net disbursements) (% of GNI) 2007 0.2
Low-Income Food-Deficit Country (LIFDC) 2018 Yes

Meta-indicators

Indicator Year Value
Averaged aggregate governance indicators 2018 -2
Gender Inequality Index (GII) 2017 0.547
Gender Parity Index in primary level enrolment (ratio of girls to boys) 2013 1
Human development index (HDI) value 2017 0.5
Seats held by women in national parliament (%) 2019 13.2

Female Education Levels

Female education levels: no data available for this country

Education

Education

Under 5 Mortality

Policies & Actions in the Global database on the Implementation of Nutrition Action (GINA)

Policy title Start Year
Labour Law (No. 17 of 2010). 2010
National Plan for the Nutrition Promotion and Upgrading in Syria 1996
Progamme title and actions Start Year
GNPR 2016-2017: Infant and young child nutrition (q8) - Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) 2016
GNPR 2016-2017: Infant and young child nutrition (q6) - Growth monitoring and promotion 2007
Supplemental feeding program for children aged under 2 years - Lipid-based nutrient supplementation  
GNPR 2016-2017: Promotion of healthy diet and prevention of obesity and diet-related NCDs (q15) - Reformulation of foods and/or beverages to reduce saturated fatty acid, trans fatty acid, sugars or salt/sodium content  
GNPR 2016-2017: Infant and young child nutrition (q10) - Complementary feeding promotion and/or counselling  
GNPR 2016-2017: Infant and young child nutrition (q7) - Breastfeeding promotion and/or counselling  
GNPR 2016-2017: Infant and young child nutrition (q9b) - Infant feeding in the context of HIV  
GNPR 2016-2017: Promotion of healthy diet and prevention of obesity and diet-related NCDs (q12a) - Food-based dietary guidelines  
GNPR 2016-2017: Promotion of healthy diet and prevention of obesity and diet-related NCDs (q13) - Nutrient declaration  
GNPR 2016-2017: Promotion of healthy diet and prevention of obesity and diet-related NCDs (q13) - Menu labelling  
GNPR 2016-2017: Promotion of healthy diet and prevention of obesity and diet-related NCDs (q13) - Nutrition and health claims  
GNPR 2016-2017: Prevention and management of acute malnutrition (q37) - Food distribution/supplementation for prevention of acute malnutrition  
GNPR 2016-2017: Prevention and management of acute malnutrition (q38) - Management of moderate malnutrition  
GNPR 2016-2017: Prevention and management of acute malnutrition (q39) - Management of severe acute malnutrition