WHO warns of “alarming trends” in the spread of infectious diseases in the Gaza Strip
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In the Gaza Strip, there is an increased risk of the spread of infections due to the crowding of people in shelters and the difficulty of access to clean water and the health care system.
This is reported by the World Health Organization
“Due to the intensification of hostilities, the number of deaths and injuries in Gaza continues to rise. Intense overcrowding and the breakdown of health, water and sanitation systems pose an additional danger: the rapid spread of infectious diseases. Some alarming trends are already emerging.” – said the WHO.
They note that the lack of fuel in the densely populated enclave has caused the closure of desalination plants, which has increased the risk of spreading bacterial infections. According to the WHO, more than 33,000 cases of diarrhea have been registered since mid-October, most of them in children under the age of five.
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It is noted that the number of affected children has increased significantly when compared with data for this age group recorded in 2021 and 2022 – an average of 2,000 cases per month.
Almost 9,000 cases of scabies and lice, more than 1,000 of chicken pox, more than 12,000 of skin rashes and about 55,000 of upper respiratory infections were also detected.
Fuel shortages have also disrupted solid waste collection, which the WHO says has created “an environment conducive to the rapid and widespread spread of disease-carrying insects and rodents.”
The organization adds that it is currently “almost impossible” to follow basic infection prevention measures in medical institutions, which increases the risk of infection through injuries, operations and childbirth.
“Violation of scheduled vaccination, as well as the lack of drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases, further increase the risks of the accelerated spread of the disease.” – WHO warns.
Iryna Batiuk, “UP. Life”
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