Bulletin #67: One hundred days of attacks on health in Gaza
This fortnight
Israeli attacks on healthcare in the Gaza Strip have persisted for the 100th consecutive day. Hospitals in Gaza are struggling due to shortages of medicines and medical supplies. They remain under threat from snipers and sieges by Israeli Occupying Forces. UN agencies are raising alarms as they are unable to deliver sufficient supplies to health centers, citing a lack of security guarantees and cooperation from the Israeli authorities. The risk of infections and outbreaks steadily grows as thousands of people gather in overcrowded shelters and camps.
In Kenya, President William Ruto's health reform package has encountered opposition from civil society organizations, including the local chapter of the People’s Health Movement. These groups are actively working to ensure that the proposed laws undergo proper public consultation before being implemented.
Safeguarding and strengthening public health systems has proven crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although public health systems and workers bore the brunt of the pandemic, governments have yet to adequately recognize their contributions. While the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths has decreased from peak levels, the World Health Organization emphasizes the continued importance of governments monitoring the virus's spread and ensuring access to vaccines.
The impact of COVID-19 has disproportionately affected poor and working-class communities, reflecting long standing health inequities. In the United Kingdom, these health disparities continue to widen.
Health disparities between the rich and the poor extend beyond health indicators. Poor communities also bear the brunt of the cost-of-living crisis, struggling to afford essential food products. Almost two years after the closure of a production facility in Michigan led to a shortage of baby formula in the United States, families still face challenges affording an adequate supply of infant formula.
In focus: Health in Palestine
Gaza’s heath workers and aid agencies face impossible choices
Health workers are at grave risk while trying to provide care to the tens of thousands who are injured due to Israel’s brutal attacks. Both they and aid agencies are also faced with extremely tough choices on how to distribute the scarce medical supplies that are remaining
The public health situation among people displaced by Israeli attacks worsens by the day, as targeting of health workers and infrastructure continues
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Health inequities continue to widen in the UK
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Sarah Jane Tribble