Gaza's Health Crisis: Disease Poses Greater Threat than Airstrikes, Warns WHO
Growing concern over disease and illness in Gaza heightens amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, potentially posing a deadlier threat than airstrikes, warns WHO Stay informed with CNN Health's weekly newsletter
The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict has sparked concerns about the increased risk of disease and illness in Gaza. The World Health Organization has issued a warning that the deteriorating health infrastructure in the region could result in more deaths from diseases than from the conflict itself.
exp gaza disease who intvw 112901ASEG1 cnni World_00002502.png
video
More Gazans could die from disease than bombings, W.H.O. says
"If we are unable to restore the health system and provide the essentials of life such as food, water, medicines, and fuel to operate the hospitals, we will soon witness more deaths from disease than from the bombardment," warned Margaret Harris, a spokesperson for the World Health Organization, on Wednesday.
According to Dr. Barry Levy, an adjunct professor at Tufts University School of Medicine and author of "From Horror to Hope: Recognizing and Preventing the Health Impacts of War," in most wars, the indirect health impacts of conflict result in many more deaths and illnesses than the direct effects of bombs, bullets, and other weapons.
These indirect impacts are mainly caused by the destruction of civilian infrastructure, which provides food, water, shelter and health care, as well as by forced displacement.
The Lead James Elder_00021403.png
video
UNICEF in Gaza is addressing the urgent demand for food, water, and medicine. The indirect health consequences involve an increase in cases of infectious gastrointestinal diseases like cholera, primarily due to limited access to clean water, as well as contagious respiratory illnesses such as measles, tuberculosis, and Covid-19, which are partially a result of overcrowded living conditions. The decrease in public health services, including vaccinations and efforts to manage disease outbreaks, coupled with rising malnutrition, can also exacerbate the prevalence and severity of infectious diseases.
"The worsening of diabetes and chronic heart and lung diseases is a result of reduced medical care and limited access to basic medications during war. Maternal and infant mortality rates also increase due to a lack of preventive services and medical care. Additionally, the mental health effects of war, including depression, PTSD, and suicide, are profound," stated Levy, a researcher with over 30 years of experience studying the health effects of war.
"I concur with the WHO's stance that humanitarian assistance must continue to be provided," he continued. "However, the health and peace of a population are interconnected. People's health and security cannot be fully restored until the violence ceases and steps are taken toward a just and sustainable peace."
A growing and deadly risk
Rebecca Katz, a professor and the director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University, stated that conflict can lead to more deaths from disease or other indirect health consequences than from trauma-related injuries.
CNN
video
British-Palestinian surgeon reflects on his experience working in Gaza
"In conflict regions, infectious disease and other health challenges are a constant worry," Katz stated in an email. She elaborated that conflict disrupts access to healthcare and medication, making it hard for people to receive treatment for conditions that would typically be manageable.
"During conflict, care for noncommunicable diseases is often disrupted, leading to a rise in untreated conditions such as cancer or renal failure. Accessing maintenance drugs for conditions like hypertension may also become difficult. Additionally, the experience of conflict has a negative impact on mental health," Katz explained.
She mentioned, "If the conflict affects access to safe water, there might be difficulties with waterborne diseases." She added, "When it becomes hard to uphold sanitation, the population becomes vulnerable to various other illnesses linked to issues with safe drinking water and functional wastewater systems."
exp children in Gaza UNICEF guest live 120102PSEG1 cnni world_00002001.png
video
A UNICEF spokesperson has described the situation as a "war on children." There has been an increasing concern from WHO officials about the potential spread of disease in Gaza due to the disruption of health services, water, and sanitation systems since early November.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-general of the WHO, expressed concern about the risk of more deaths from diseases than bombings due to poor living conditions and inadequate healthcare. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he highlighted that 1.3 million people in Gaza are living in overcrowded shelters with a lack of essential resources such as food, water, sanitation, and medications, leading to a significant increase in illness cases.
Last Friday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) announced an outbreak of hepatitis A in one of its shelters. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions at UNRWA shelters in the south have led to significant increases in certain communicable diseases and conditions.
According to the reports, there are at least 111,000 cases of acute respiratory infections; 12,000 cases of scabies; 11,000 cases of lice; 75,000 cases of diarrhea, with about half of them being under the age of 5; 24,000 cases of skin rash; 2,500 cases of impetigo; 2,5000 cases of chickenpox and 1,100 cases of jaundice, among other health conditions.
Palestinians queue to receive clean water from a water station. (Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Abed Rahim Khatib/picture alliance/Getty Images
According to Ubydul Haque, an assistant professor of global health at Rutgers Global Health Institute, the damage to essential infrastructures such as hospitals, sanitation facilities, and clean drinking water has resulted in the perfect conditions for deadly disease outbreaks.
With the hospitals not functioning, detecting outbreaks is impossible, posing a high risk of rapid disease spread among the displaced population. In this scenario, the risk of death from disease outweighs the risk of death due to bombardment," stated Haque, a researcher knowledgeable in infectious disease, conflict, and war.
"Additional physical health risks include inhaling smoke and fumes from burn pits, sand, dust, particulate matter, cardiovascular diseases, and stroke. Prolonged exposure to toxic substances can harm the nose and lungs and potentially lead to cancer in the long term," he explained. "Pregnant women also face health risks such as preterm labor, preeclampsia, miscarriage, premature births, and newborn complications."
Get CNN Health's weekly newsletter
Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.
During the Israel-Hamas conflict, maternity care facilities in Gaza have been significantly impacted by Israeli airstrikes, leading to evacuations, power outages, and a shortage of essential medical supplies. In November, 31 newborn babies, six health workers, and 10 staff family members were evacuated from Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza. The World Health Organization reported that two other babies died the day prior to the evacuation.
Amid heavy shelling, doctors at the hospital were unable to provide necessary treatment to patients. Shortages of fuel and electricity prevented the operation of incubators, resulting in the tragic loss of ICU patients and several neonatal babies at Al-Shifa Hospital.
CNNs Martin Goillandeau and Eleni Giokos contributed to this report.
