Meningitis Outbreak Among Children in Gaza: Hospitals Unable to Respond

Hospitals in the Gaza Strip, especially Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, are witnessing a sharp and alarming rise in cases of meningitis among children, amid deteriorating humanitarian and health conditions due to the ongoing 21-month war between Israel and Hamas.

In one wing of the hospital, a woman tries to calm her granddaughter Sham (16 months old) who has contracted meningitis, as her temperature rises and her body suddenly convulses.

The grandmother, Um Yasmin, says: "We couldn't find an ambulance to transport her. The child was on the verge of death, and we were searching for a way to save her."

The World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders have expressed grave concern over the spread of the disease, warning that poor living conditions in Gaza, including overcrowding in tents and shelters, and inadequate sanitation services, have exacerbated the risk of meningitis spreading.

Rick Brennan, WHO representative in the Palestinian Territories, stated: "There is a noticeable increase in the number of children contracting meningitis. We are extremely concerned."

Bacterial meningitis, the most dangerous form, can be airborne and life-threatening, especially in overcrowded camps, while viral meningitis, although less severe, spreads easily in unhygienic and poorly equipped areas. The WHO notes that the viral meningitis season typically peaks between June and August, but this year has seen a higher-than-usual increase.

The deterioration of the healthcare system due to war and blockade has hindered routine vaccinations and made access to medical care more difficult. Hospitals are facing a severe shortage of essential medicines and antibiotics, in addition to a lack of isolation facilities.

Dr. Mohammed Abu Mughaiseeb, Deputy Medical Coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, stated that hospitals are overcrowded, with insufficient beds or equipment to isolate infected cases, contributing to the rapid spread of infection. He added that the absence of necessary laboratory tests to identify the bacteria causing the infection hinders quick diagnosis and treatment.

At Nasser Hospital, around 40 cases of meningitis, both viral and bacterial, were recorded in just the past week. In Gaza City, Rantisi Children's Hospital has reported hundreds of cases in recent weeks, according to a report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The health situation in Gaza is worsening, with medical efforts facing significant challenges amidst ongoing conflict and infrastructure collapse, threatening the lives of hundreds of children in the region and increasing the risk of disease outbreak more than ever before.