Papers by Agneta Kallström
Medicine, Conflict and Survival
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the burden on the collapsing health system in northwest Syria... more The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the burden on the collapsing health system in northwest Syria. The situation was exacerbated by the low rates of adherence to preventive measures and acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine. In this study, we systematically analysed studies related to Risk Communication and Community Engagement programs, and community awareness in northwest Syria in order to determine the most widespread prevention methods, the community’s perspectives and knowledge of epidemic prevention, and the factors that prevent effective community engagement and uptake of COVID-19 prevention precautions in an area that has been suffering from the scourge of conflict for more than ten years. Based on the research findings, low adherence to COVID-19 prevention measures is mainly due to external factors related to socioeconomic status, scarcity of resources, and poor living conditions. Therefore, this study suggested that integrated multi-sectoral humanitarian programs that address these factors holistically are more effective than solely public health interventions in involving the community to become an active part of the Risk Communication and Community Engagement programs and ensuring their effectiveness.
Zoonotic Diseases
Syria has experienced armed conflict since 2011, and the provision of health care has been severe... more Syria has experienced armed conflict since 2011, and the provision of health care has been severely compromised due to the hostilities. At the time of writing, Northwest Syria (NWS) was outside governmental control and faced the challenges of the COVID-19 outbreak. Since the emergence of this disease, several studies have looked at the dynamics of COVID-19 transmission, predicted its progression, and determined the impact of different preventive measures. While most of these studies’ settings were in stable contexts, this study investigated the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic in Northwest Syria, a conflict-affected region, for nine months (from July 2020 to March 2021) using the Suspected-Infected-Removed (SIR) model. We adjusted the SIR model to study the impact of wearing facial masks on the outbreak dynamics and progression. Based on available data and using the basic and adjusted SIR models, we estimated the value of the basic reproduction number (R0), which provides an ini...
Sosiaalilääketieteellinen aikakauslehti, Feb 21, 2022
Conflict and Health, 2022
Background The Syrian conflict has endured for a decade, causing one of the most significant huma... more Background The Syrian conflict has endured for a decade, causing one of the most significant humanitarian crises since World War II. The conflict has inflicted massive damage to civil infrastructure, and not even the health care sector has been spared. On the contrary, health care has been targeted, and as a result, many health professionals have left the country. Despite the life-threatening condition, many health professionals continued to work inside Syria even in the middle of the acute crisis. This qualitative study aims to determine the factors that have motivated Syrian health professionals to work in a conflict-affected country. Methods The research is based on 20 semi-structured interviews of Syrian health care workers. Interviews were conducted in 2016–2017 in Gaziantep, Turkey. A thematic inductive content analysis examined the motivational factors Syrian health care workers expressed for their work in the conflict area. Results Motivating factors for health care workers ...
World Medical & Health Policy
Background: Syria has been experienced an armed conflict since 2011. At the time of writing, Nort... more Background: Syria has been experienced an armed conflict since 2011. At the time of writing, Northwest Syria is outside governmental control and facing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this research, we studied the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic in northwest Syria. We studied the impact of wearing facial masks and discussed the results compared to the existing figures and facts. Methods: Based on available data and using the basic and adjusted SIR model, we estimated the value of the basic reproduction number () which gives an initial prediction of the disease progression. We studied the disease progression for one year (from July 2020 to July 2021) and simulated using the basic and adjusted SIR models. Results: We estimated that the for 2019-nCOV was 2.38, and the resulted figures were overestimated compared to the reported numbers and data concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. However, when adjusting the model by a preventive measure (in this case, wearing face masks)...
medRxiv, 2020
Objectives: To explore the experiences of Syrian health care workers of violence since 2011 and r... more Objectives: To explore the experiences of Syrian health care workers of violence since 2011 and reasons behind migration from the conflict-affected country Design: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and inductive content analysis. Interviews were conducted in Turkey and Europe in 2016 - 2017. Setting: Interviewees were Syrian health care workers who had been working in the country after the conflict started in 2011, but at some point, migrated from Syria to Turkey or Europe. Participants: We studied data from 20 semi-structured in-depth interviews collected with a snowball sampling method. Results: Our findings show that health care workers migrated from Syria because of security issues. In most cases, the decision to leave was a result of the generalised violence that was spreading through the country since 2011. Targeted attacks by various warring parties against health care was one of the main reasons for leaving. Some participants had a specific notable trigger...
BMJ Open
ObjectivesTo explore the reasons why healthcare workers migrate from Syria, a country where confl... more ObjectivesTo explore the reasons why healthcare workers migrate from Syria, a country where conflict has been raging for over a decade.DesignA qualitative study was performed using semistructured interviews. Semistructured questions guided in-depth interviews. Content analysis was used.SettingParticipants were Syrian healthcare workers who had worked in the country after the conflict started in 2011, but at some point left Syria and settled abroad. The interviews took place in Turkey and Europe in 2016 and 2017.ParticipantsWe collected data from 20 participants (18 males and 2 females) through snowball sampling method.ResultsHealthcare workers migrated from Syria only because of security reasons. In most cases, the decision to leave resulted from the generalised violence against civilians by different warring parties, mainly the Government of Syria and the Islamic State. Intentional attacks against healthcare workers were also one of the main reasons for leaving. Some participants h...
Medicine, Conflict and Survival
Health care is attacked in many contemporary conflicts despite the Geneva Conventions. The war in... more Health care is attacked in many contemporary conflicts despite the Geneva Conventions. The war in Syria has become notorious for targeted violence against health care. This qualitative study describes health care workers' experiences of violence using semi-structured interviews (n = 25) with professionals who have been working in Syria. The participants were selected using a snowball sampling method and interviewed in Turkey and Europe between 2016-2017. Analysis was conducted using content analysis. Results revealed that the most destructive and horrific forms of violence health care workers have experienced were committed mostly by the Government of Syria and the Islamic State. Non-state armed groups and Kurdish Forces have also committed acts of violence against health care, though their scope and scale were considered to have a lower mortality. The nature of violence has evolved during the conflict: starting from verbal threats and eventually leading to hospital bombings. Health care workers were not only providers of health care to injured demonstrators, they also participated in non-violent anti-government actions. The international community has not taken action to protect health care in Syria. For health workers finding safe environments in which to deliver health care has been impossible.
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Papers by Agneta Kallström