15 February 2022 - Zaina is a 10-year-old girl from the Gaza Strip, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in June 2020.

After her initial diagnosis, Zaina received chemotherapy at Rantisi Hospital in the Gaza Strip. It was a difficult time for Zaina and her family.

“Zaina suffered with pain and with side effects from the chemotherapy,” her father commented. “When she lost her hair, she kept asking me to buy her wigs. We bought several, but she didn’t like them, she kept saying that her hair is better. Every time I took her out with me, she would ask for a new one – she has at least twenty! It was very tough for us as a family and for my wife especially. She used to ask what we had done to deserve this. Luckily our families were really supportive.” Zaina is the oldest of five children and her family lives in Gaza City, where her mother works as to keep the family home and her father works in a mobile phone store.

Zaina completed the course of chemotherapy in November 2020, after showing early improvements. However, during her follow up in December, doctors found that the tumour was still there. She needed a special type of scan called a PET scan, to assess the activity of the tumour, and decide the next steps for treatment – including potential radiotherapy. Neither the scan nor radiotherapy is available in the Gaza Strip, so Zaina was referred to Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) in East Jerusalem for an appointment in February 2021.

From February to October 2021, Zaina’s family submitted four applications for appointments for her to receive investigations and treatment at AVH. None was approved in time for her appointments.

East Jerusalem, 1 February 2022 - WHO in oPt handed over two refrigerated vehicles worth US$ 93 000 to the Palestinian Ministry of Health as part of its ongoing support to the health system and the national response to COVID-19. 

The vehicles, funded by the Federal Republic of Germany, will bolster efforts to strengthen the vaccine cold chain to ensure that COVID-19 and other vaccines can be transported safely and efficiently from the warehouse to health facilities across the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

“I thank the Federal Republic of Germany and the World Health Organization for supporting the Palestinian health system. This support will help the Ministry of Health in combating COVID-19 and in continuing the vaccination campaign with increased efficiency across Palestine”, Dr Mai Al-Keilahh, Palestinian Minister of Health. 

Since March 2020, WHO in oPt has provided essential COVID-19 response equipment and supplies worth over US$ 18.5 million to the Ministry across oPt. The COVID-19 response is helping to improve the resilience and preparedness of the overall health system too. 

“Together with a continuing focus on other areas of the COVID-19 response such as testing, surveillance, case management, risk communication, and vaccination, in collaboration with the Ministry, we are also investing in the vaccine cold chain. This is to not only boost COVID-19 vaccination efforts but also to improve the long-term sustainability of the larger immunization system of oPt”, said Dr Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in oPt.

Earlier this week, WHO in oPt also provided two glovebox machines worth approximately US$ 300 000, funded by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, to the Ministry to protect health workers from contamination and exposure while handling hazardous and potentially contagious biochemical materials. 

For more information:

Kazem Abu Khalaf
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About WHO

The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States across six regions, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and well-being. 

Saleem An-Nawati was 16 years old from Gaza and had acute leukaemia diagnosed in late 2021. He was initially referred for an appointment at An-Najah University Hospital in Nablus in the West Bank on 28 November 2021, but he received no definitive response to his permit application in time for his appointment. Saleem was delayed a permit to reach treatment on two further occasions, for appointments at An-Najah Hospital on 6 and 19 December.

Finally, on 26 December 2021, Saleem travelled to Nablus accompanied by his uncle, after receiving a permit. However, on 21 December 2021 An-Najah University Hospital had announced that it would be unable to receive patients referred by the Palestinian Ministry of Health because of outstanding debts affecting the procurement of essential medicines and supplies. After reaching the hospital, Saleem was not admitted and instead went with his uncle to the department for referrals in Ramallah. The Services Purchasing Unit of the Ministry of Health tried to secure a referral to several Palestinian hospitals but none were able to accept Saleem, who had been referred for specialist investigations for acute leukaemia. On 3 January, the referrals department contacted Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, where an appointment was secure for 9 January.

 After his travel to the West Bank, Saleem’s family appealed through different routes for his admission to hospital. condition deteriorated. After an appointment had been secured at Ichilov Hospital for 9 January, the family was advised that Saleem should return to Gaza in order to apply for a permit to reach the hospital as direct referral from the West Bank would not be possible.

During his time in the West Bank, Saleem’s health deteriorated substantially. On 9 January, he again attended the Services Purchasing Unit with his uncle trying to resolve the issue of his direct referral to Ichilov Hospital. Saleem was visibly unwell and was rushed to the Palestinian Medical Complex by ambulance as an emergency case, where he died shortly afterwards.