The Ministry of Health Launches a National Census of Biological Therapeutics Patients
The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced the launch of a comprehensive national census of patients with biological therapies and rare and metabolic diseases, with the aim of building an accurate database that ensures the equitable distribution of medicines and meets the actual needs of those affected.
In a statement published on its Telegram channel on Thursday, May 7, 2026, the Ministry called on all concerned patients, including those suffering from multiple sclerosis, joint, gastrointestinal and skin diseases, in addition to rare and metabolic diseases, to visit the nearest primary health care center, provided that they bring with them medical reports that prove the diagnosis and current treatment, in order to register their data within a questionnaire specially prepared for this purpose.
The Ministry of Health clarified that the registration process does not mean providing treatment immediately, but comes for planning purposes with the aim of improving the organization and provision of available treatments in order to ensure justice in their distribution and suitability to the actual needs.
Registration until the end of May
The Ministry stressed the need to enter personal information and means of communication accurately, explaining that the registration process will continue until the end of this May, as an affirmation by the State of its continuous follow-up on the conditions of patients and providing them with the best means of care.
The health sector has been witnessing an escalating crisis during the recent period, represented by the acute and continuous shortage of biological treatment doses within government hospitals, which has directly reflected on the conditions of hundreds of patients with autoimmune diseases and chronic arthritis, as this shortage has been going on for more than a year and includes most types of these drugs, whether given by injection or intravenous infusion, which has led to noticeable health relapses in a large number of patients, an increase in the severity of symptoms and the return of pain and swelling, and some cases that had been stable for years deteriorated.
Last March, the Ministry of Health received the second batch of biologic medicines intended for the treatment of chronic diseases, supplied by several entities under more than ten procurement contracts within the Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases Program, as part of its continuous efforts to secure the pharmaceutical needs of patients.
The first Syrian hospital to implement biological therapy
Biological therapy is one of the effective treatments that gave satisfactory results to patients and their families, and contributed to the treatment and hospitalization of life-threatening chronic diseases, and the results proved through the long history of its use in Damascus Hospital, the importance of this type of treatment through the signs of improvement that appeared in patients, who visited the biological clinic and underwent treatment without leaving any side effects on the patient's condition, where biological therapy is completely different from chemotherapy.
Damascus Hospital is the first Syrian hospital to apply biological therapy for nearly 20 years for diseases related to (joints, gastrointestinal, and skin), and this treatment is given in full with medicines free of charge, knowing that its costs are expensive and the patient cannot afford it, and the Ministry of Health strives to provide biological medicine continuously to provide it to all patients.
What is Biological Therapy?
Advances in medicine are no longer measured by the number of new drugs, but by the nature of the idea behind the treatment. After decades of relying on direct external intervention, medicine is now moving in a different direction: stimulating the body to heal itself.
According to global medical studies, this transformation, known as "biological therapies," not only adds a new drug, but reshapes the understanding of disease and treatment together. Instead of replacing what is damaged, it seeks to revitalize what is still alive inside the body.
In a recent study led by Kumar Kalwarashi, a researcher from Rajaratha University in Sri Lanka, and with the participation of researchers from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand and the University of Hong Kong, published in the British Journal of Dentistry on 10 April 2026, this transformation in dentistry was highlighted as an example, not as a future possibility, but as a reality that is taking shape within the clinic.
Biological therapies are drugs derived from living organisms, or their components, such as antibodies, proteins, and cells. But it differs from traditional medicines in that they do not only relieve symptoms, but also target subtle mechanisms within the body, and this precision gives them a greater ability to affect complex diseases, but at the same time makes them more sensitive in terms of clinical interactions and side effects.
According to global medical sources, these treatments have changed the course of major diseases – such as cancer and immune diseases – over the past years. Today, this approach is quietly entering the field of dentistry, bringing with it new possibilities and unprecedented challenges.