The outbreak of war in Gaza has resulted in a significant increase in the number of people seeking refuge, placing considerable strain on the capacity of existing shelters. The absence of clean water, soap, and other essential hygiene supplies prevents from maintaining basic hygienic conditions, thereby facilitating the proliferation of diseases. The close proximity of refugees facilitates the transmission of infectious diseases such as hepatitis A, which lacks a specific cure and is caused by the hepatitis A virus.
According to the standard definition provided by e World Health Organization (WHO), hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the Hepatitis A virus (HAV). The primary mode of transmission is through the ingestion of contaminated food or water, or through direct contact with an infectious individual. The incubation period is typically between 15 and 50 days, with an average of 28 days. In non-emergency settings, individuals typically recover with minimal or no treatment. However, in circumstances such as those in the Gaza Strip, where proximity, inadequate nutrition, and hydration are constant challenges, this is not always the case.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Nest East (UNRWA) has reported that, at present, 800 to 1,000 new cases of hepatitis are being diagnosed on a weekly basis at their health centers and shelters situated across the Gaza Strip. This represents an 85% increase in the number of cases diagnosed in the region in comparison to figures recorded prior to the outbreak of hostilities. One of the reasons for this surge is the difficulty in delivering basic supplies, including medical aid, to the affected population. Furthermore, the agency has expanded its assistance beyond its mandate, which imposes the obligation to help only to the registered refugee population, to include all individuals in need. However, the result is that the number of patients for each healthcare worker is unprecedented, an average number of 113:1. Obviously, there is not enough medical personnel to provide adequate attention to each individual.
Dr. Ghada Al-Jadba, the Chief of the UNRWA Health Programme in the Gaza Strip, has stated that should the crisis persist, it would become exceedingly difficult for the UNRWA health programme to meet the needs of the population. In fact, both health facilities and healthcare workers in Gaza have been subjected to persistent attacks, reducing the numbers of that workforce that is fundamental in curing the refugees. As of January 30, 2024, there had been 342 documented attacks on health facilities in Gaza, resulting in the death of 146 medical personnel. At present, approximately 650 UNRWA healthcare professionals remain in Gaza, following the relocation of a significant number of the original 1,000 UNRWA healthcare workers from the northern to the southern regions.
Moreover, UNRWA has estimated that the availability of water in shelters in the South is 8.8 liters per person per day, with 1.6 liters allocated for drinking and 7.2 liters for domestic use. These figures are considerably below the minimum emergency Sphere standard, which recommends a minimum of 15 liters per person per day. This situation coupled with the deplorable conditions in the shelters, where an average of 504 individuals share a single toilet and 2,568 individuals a shower, provide an ideal setting for the proliferation of infectious diseases.
Given the difficulty to vaccinate all the people in the shelters, the only feasible solution is to improve the situation in the shelters reducing refugee overcrowding and facilitating the entry of medical supplies into the region. However, this can only happen if the war comes to an end.
To read more, please visit:
- https://www.who.int/about
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-a
- https://www.unrwa.org/#mm-2
- Gaza’s displaced people face a new peril: Hepatitis A outbreak | UNRWA
- https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)00230-7/fulltext#:~:text=In%20the%20three%20southern%20governorates,services%20to%20internally%20displaced%20people.
