The health situation is getting worse day by day in Gaza. The World Health Organization (WHO) and doctors without borders (MSF) indicate that health conditions have increased, especially in the risks of propagation of meningitis.
After 21 months of war between Israel and Hamas, MSF’s deputy medical coordinator in Gaza, Mohammed Abu Mughaisib, tells Reuters that there is no space in hospitals. “There is no space to isolate,” he added.
“We observed an increase in cases of meningitis in children,” said Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, representative of who in the occupied Palestinian territory. “We are very worried,” said the doctor.
A disease with high epidemic potential
Meningitis is “spinal cord infection and the envelopes surrounding the brain, meninges, caused by various types of viruses, bacteria and fungi,” according to the Pasteur Institute. This disease that has great epidemic potential, is transmitted by respiratory and pharyngeal secretions and mainly babies.
Dr. Warsh Agha of the Al-Rrand Hospital estimates with our RFI colleagues between 300 and 400 cases of meningitis in Gaza against only twenty per year before the resumption of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on October 7, 2023.
In addition to the resurgence of meningitis, the restrictions imposed by Israel at the entry of health aid, but also food caused a significant shortage that affects the functioning of the Gaza health system.
“112 children are admitted every day” by malnutrition
On Tuesday, the International Red Cross Committee (ICRC) indicated that a “strong increase” of incidents outside the humanitarian aid distribution sites in the Gaza Strip pushed beyond its capabilities the health system already saturated from the Palestinian territory.
Consequently, “thousands of patients” who received care were forced to stop their activities “after the shells hit the surroundings” in one of their health establishments in the city of Gaza.
Malnutrition is also enraged in Gaza’s strip. Since the beginning of 2025, UNICEF reports that “112 children have been admitted every day to receive treatment against malnutrition.”
“Combined and not treated, malnutrition and diseases create a mortal vicious circle,” he warned the United Nations Childhood Agency.
Source: BFM TV
