About the Podcast:

In this episode of Syria: Alternative Dialogues, we speak with Dr. Abdulkarim Ekzayez—epidemiologist and health systems expert—about what it takes to rebuild Syria’s health sector in the wake of authoritarian collapse.

Reflecting on his recent visit to Syria, Dr. Ekzayez describes the country as “exhausted”—not only physically, but institutionally and socially. He underscores the urgent need for locally rooted knowledge production to address the war’s long-term impact and to develop a health system that reflects Syria’s diverse post-conflict realities.

Rather than a unified national system, Syria today is home to at least seven fragmented health systems, each shaped by different authorities and wartime experiences. This fragmentation has resulted in duplicated efforts, weak coordination, and reactive, short-term decision-making—often based on poor or incompatible data systems.

But amid the chaos, Dr. Ekzayez sees opportunity. Drawing from successful collaborations between Syrian researchers and international institutions, he believes that organic, sustainable knowledge—led by Syrians—can be the foundation for rebuilding. He calls for a shift away from centralized bureaucracy toward a model where the state becomes a regulator, not the sole provider.

This means designing a system where public, private, and civil society actors have clear, complementary roles—grounded in accountability, transparency, and shared planning. It also means placing people at the center of planning: mapping services based on population needs rather than facility count.

Health, Dr. Ekzayez argues, cannot be isolated from broader development. It’s tied to education, food security, labor, water, and environmental health. A truly resilient system must bridge these sectors, and include the voices of communities in shaping the response.

He concludes with a call to action: health is not a luxury—it is a basic human right. Every Syrian, regardless of location or background, should be able to access care without being pushed into poverty. In this way, health can become a tool for restoring trust, rebuilding social cohesion, and healing the human cost of war.

About the Guest:

Dr. Abdulkarim Ekzayez is a health systems expert and epidemiologist. He is a researcher at King’s College London and a co-investigator on the Research for Health System Strengthening in Northern Syria (R4HSSS) project. He previously held academic and consultancy roles with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the American University of Beirut, and Chatham House, and led humanitarian health programs with Save the Children and Expertise France, focusing on primary healthcare, health governance, and health information systems.

Dr. Ekzayez holds a PhD in health systems in conflict from King’s College London, an MSc in epidemiology from LSHTM, and an MD from the University of Aleppo. He began his medical career as a neurosurgery resident and worked in several field hospitals in northwest Syria. He has authored over 30 academic publications on health and conflict and serves on the boards of multiple Syrian and international health organizations, including the Syrian British Medical Society and Shafak.

Hosted by:
Rabie Nasser – Co-founder and researcher at the Syrian Center for Policy Research.

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