The ability to live a healthy lifestyle is limited in Za’atari Refugee Camp.
After living in the camp for four or five years, many people suffer from chronic health conditions. There simply aren’t a lot of healthy food choices or opportunities for physical exercise.
Conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and asthma contribute to nearly one half of chronic health consultations in the camp. Projects that support community-based well being are vital.
Recently, our team Questcope implemented a pilot project to improve the physical and emotional health of Syrian refugees. The goal is to build Syrian leadership capacity to introduce and promote healthy lifestyles among people through training, mentoring, and group support.
Through this program, we identified people who really needed blood pressure monitors. They have to take these measurements frequently, and hospitals and doctors are scarce. So, we thought, there was something we could do to help.
Monitors cost around $120 per person and are too expensive for most refugees to purchase on their own. So we went ahead and purchased monitors for five most-in-need men and women – helping them take control of their health and wellness.
