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WHO responds to growing health needs in Gaza
Gaza, 19 July 2018 – In response to increasing violence in Gaza, WHO is scaling up its response by providing life-saving medicines and medical supplies to hospitals and frontline trauma stabilization points. Since the start of demonstrations on 30 March, 148 Palestinians have died and 16 496 have been injured. To date, 500 000 emergency and trauma patients have been treated with supplies from WHO’s recent delivery of medicines, assistive devices and medical equipment.
As Health Cluster lead, WHO is also supporting the Palestinian Ministry of Health in coordinating emergency medical teams to treat injured civilians who require immediate medical care. A Trauma Working Group has been established to improve trauma care along the pathway of the patient from point of injury in the field to rehabilitation.
“The high numbers of trauma casualties, particularly with complex limb injuries, is continuing to increase,” said Dr Gerald Rockenschaub, head of WHO’s office for the West Bank and Gaza. “Trauma stabilization points are critical in saving the lives of people whose injuries are so serious that they may not survive the journey to a hospital. Almost half of all people injured so far have been treated and discharged by emergency medical teams at these points, significantly reducing the burden on hospitals, and likely saving many lives.”
Of the 8695 people hospitalized to date, almost 50% suffer from gunshot wounds. Almost 20% of those being admitted to hospital are children. Psychosocial support is being provided to the injured, their families, and health care workers through 6 WHO-supported mental health teams.
Health care has also come under attack. Since 30 March, 2 health workers have been killed and 363 injured. Of the health workers affected, 26 were injured by live ammunition, including 2 health workers who were killed; 40 were hit with tear gas canisters; and 13 were hit with shrapnel. A health care centre for people with disabilities has been damaged, as well as at least 68 ambulances.
In addition to the ongoing emergency response, in the upcoming weeks WHO will support the establishment of an Ministry-led Emergency Medical Teams Coordination Cell and scale up of 10 trauma stabilization points across the Gaza Strip.
In times of violence when the services of health workers are needed most, WHO reminds all parties of the obligation under international law to protect health workers, as well as to allow the injured access to care and the medicines needed to treat them.
Related link
Situation report: occupied Palestinian territory, Gaza 12–16 July 2018
WHO delivers medical supplies: A lifeline to Gaza’s collapsing health system, July 2018
10 July, 2018, Gaza Strip –The World Health Organization is delivering 458 laboratory kits containing rapid diagnostic tests and laboratory reagents to cover the urgent needs of laboratories and blood banks in Gaza.
With resources from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), WHO has delivered 458 laboratory kits, which will support 13 major hospital based laboratories across the Gaza and the central blood bank.
“Laboratories are essential in the early detection of communicable diseases, playing a key role in the prevention of an outbreak, which is particularly crucial at this time when Gaza is facing increased environmental hazards due to the lack of electricity and water supply. Furthermore, with the increasing number of complex limb injuries, the role of the laboratory is central for the appropriate diagnosis and care.” said Dr Gerald Rockenschaub, WHO’s Head of Office for the West Bank and Gaza.
The current surge in humanitarian needs takes place against a backdrop of an extremely precarious humanitarian situation. Drug and disposable supplies in Gaza are continuing to deplete, there is a shortage of health staff, and the fuel reserve for electricity, which is currently sustaining 14 public hospitals will be depleted by the middle of August.
WHO delivers medicines for the treatment of mental illness to the occupied Palestinian territory, June 2018
28 June 2018, West Bank – The World Health Organization delivered essential psychotropic medicines to the Central Drugs Store of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Nablus, West Bank, on Sunday 24 June. Psychotropic medicines are used to treat the symptoms of mental disorders, such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. They are shown to reduce disability resulting from mental illness and prevent relapse. The procurement of essential psychotropic medicines for the occupied Palestinian territory is a main component of the EU-funded WHO project Building Palestinian resilience: improving psychosocial and mental health responses to emergency situations.
The Palestinian National Mental Health Strategy (2015-2019) recognizes that long-term shortages of psychotropic medicines represent a major challenge to the health sector, hindering the continuity of mental health services for patients in the occupied Palestinian territory. The procurement and delivery of essential medicines to treat mental illness forms a core component of the WHO Mental Health Project, which has utilized 800,000 Euros to deliver psychotropic medicines to the West Bank and Gaza in 2017-2018.
The WHO Mental Health Project aims to improve mental health services, and particularly access to mental health services during emergencies. In addition to the procurement and delivery of essential medicines, the Palestinian Ministry of Health and WHO have developed a national emergency mental health plan and intervention guidelines and delivered training to health professionals on the Mental Health Gap Action Programme, as well as training to emergency teams for the provision of psychological first aid.
WHO and Italian Cooperation sign an agreement to strengthen the Palestinian health system, June 2018
Jerusalem, Wednesday 13 June 2018 - The Italian Cooperation and the WHO signed this morning a Cost Sharing Agreement related to the Programme “Health System strengthening in the occupied Palestinian territory” for a total amount of 300,000 euro. The initiative will ensure continuity with the ongoing WHO project funded by AICS Jerusalem in 2017 for 700,000 euro and aimed at strengthening the health system toward universal health coverage.
The new project will support in particular the Palestinian Ministry of Health to consolidate the health system in the Family Practice (integrating different levels of care services and supporting the roll-out of the Family Practice Approach), the Health Information systems (consolidating the local capacity in analyzing data and produce valuable information) and the Cancer Registry (developing a standardized procedure for cancer reporting processes and enhancing quality and quantity of collected data).
The Agreement has been signed by the Consul General of Italy in Jerusalem H.E. Fabio Sokolowicz and the WHO Representative Dr Gerald Rockenschaub, at the presence of the AICS Jerusalem Representative Ms. Cristina Natoli.
