Action and advocacy plan to provide paediatric cardiac and orthopaedic surgery to refugee children.

The context of prolonged humanitarian crisis in Jordan and Lebanon due to the war in Syria has led to great difficulties in ensuring adequate healthcare for most of the vulnerable population of both countries, including the refugee population.

Medical-surgical care for refugee children has not been prioritised and the repercussions of orthopaedic and cardiac anomalies, which have a severe impact on the physical, emotional and personal development of children, are rarely recognised and often ignored.

The study carried out by Avicena highlighted existing lacks in early detection, diagnosis, medical-surgical care and rehabilitation for children with these conditions. In this regard, special attention was paid to the consequences of these congenital abnormalities on children’s lives, spanning aspects such as the health system, access to education, social and professional inclusion, and autonomy.

This analysis helped to recognise and articulate the needs of children and adolescents with congenital abnormalities, as well as those of their families, as regards access to health services and their inclusion in the national health systems of Jordan and Lebanon. Avicena also contributed to the design of an advocacy strategy by French NGO Chaîne de l’Espoir to work with local and international humanitarian institutions and organisations, in both countries.