Category: Medical & Health

LONDON: Israel's land operation in Rafah has further worsened the situation, pushing the Gaza Strip to the brink of a "deadly epidemic outbreak," according to a UK-based charity on Monday. In a statement, Oxfam warned that the destruction of critical water and sanitation infrastructure by the Israeli forces along with overcrowding, malnutrition, and heat brought a severe risk of epidemic outbreak to Palestinians in the besieged enclave. "The situation is further compounded by the Israeli invasion of Rafah which has forced over 350,000 people to flee to already overcrowded shelters and camps, and food and fuel are running out with the closure of border crossings," it noted. The charity said at least five of its life-saving water and sanitation projects in the Gaza Strip had been severely damaged or destroyed in the Israeli attacks since Oct. 7, 2023. "Israeli attacks since October caused at least $210M worth of damage to Gaza's water and sanitation infrastructure," added Oxfam, citing its staff on the grou nd that piles of human waste and rivers of sewage in the streets, which "people are having to jump between." "They also reported people having to drink dirty water and children being bitten by insects swarming around the sewage," said the statement, adding conditions are ripe for the outbreak of epidemics including Hepatitis A and cholera. '87% of critical water, sanitation facilities destroyed or severely damaged' Sally Abi Khalil, Oxfam's Middle East director, described the situation as "desperate" with so many people in Gaza living in fear and being forced to endure "inhumane and unsanitary conditions." Citing UNICEF's analysis of satellite images, the statement mentioned that 87% of critical water and sanitation facilities have been destroyed or severely damaged in the Gaza Strip. Israel has waged an unrelenting offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7 which killed some 1,200 people. More than 35,000 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, mostly women and ch ildren, and 78,400 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities. Over seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave's population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN. Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. South Africa on Friday asked the ICJ to order Israel to withdraw from the southern Gaza city of Rafah as part of additional emergency measures over the war. Source: Anadolu Agency

ATHENS: AstraZeneca will withdraw its coronavirus vaccines, British media reported Wednesday. The decision by the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company came as a result of declining demand for the jab as more updated vaccines target newer variants of the virus, according to Sky News. It added that the voluntary withdrawal of the jab started in the EU, with the European Medicines Agency announcing that the vaccine is no longer authorized for use. While the company argued that more than 6.5 million lives were saved in the first year of use and over 3 billion doses were supplied globally, the broadcaster noted, 'The vaccine had only been in use for a few months before reports emerged of unusual blood clots.' Source: Anadolu Agency

HAMILTON: The UN humanitarian office chief in occupied Palestine highlighted the alarming situation Tuesday in the Gaza Strip, noting that the closure of the Rafah border crossing is threatening treatment for more than 3,000 children. "We saw 200 families per hour moving, but it's a little bit difficult to go beyond and give a precise number at the moment," Andrea De Domenico, told reporters virtually as he highlighted the rapid displacement of civilians in the region. De Domenico highlighted the serious effect of the closure of the Rafah and Karem Abu Salim border crossings for humanitarian activities and access to fuel. He said humanitarian operations cannot take place without fuel, emphasizing the critical importance of fuel. "If nutritional supplies cannot be accessed due to the crossing closure, treatment of more than 3,000 children with acute malnutrition will be interrupted, as it will be the case for routine service," he stressed. Noting that there are three hospitals that are functional in Rafah , de Domenico said they will "become inoperable in the coming hours if the operations continue, depriving 1.2 million people of health care." "When the military operation approaches the areas where there are hospitals, the Israeli army requires the evacuation of hospitals," he said, stressing that hospitals are places that must be protected and respected, according to international humanitarian law. He said that Israeli officials have not yet provided information on when the crossings will reopen but noted they are in constant communication with officials to ensure the continuation of humanitarian operations. Highlighting the essential nature of fuel for humanitarian operations, de Domenico warned that key sectors will come to a halt within days if the fuel supply is not restored. He reported that food distribution to southern Gaza ceased Monday, and humanitarian partners anticipate running out of food stocks by the end of the week if the situation persists. De Domenico emphasized that the current situati on not only affects the north but also increases the risk of shortages in the south of Gaza. On the situation of children in Gaza, de Domenico highlighted that children have been deprived of safe learning environments for seven months. He emphasized the plight of vulnerable populations, particularly children and women, and said Israel's current attack will leave 625,000 children without education, leading to various risks such as "exploitation, child labor, and other forms of abuse." Regarding the concept of "safe zones," de Domenico said, "The entire zone that has been identified by Israeli and called by Israeli a 'safe zone,' we do not call it safe zone because we keep on saying that there is no safe zone." He recounted staying near a so-called 'safe zone' during his last visit to Gaza, only for it to be bombed. Criticizing Israel for not providing services to those pushed into supposed safe zones, de Domenico described the destruction he witnessed in Gaza as indescribably severe, with neighborhoods un recognizable and buildings systematically targeted. "The suffering that civilian populations are subjected to is simply beyond our ability to describe with words,' he said. Source: Anadolu Agency

HAMILTON: The UN humanitarian office chief in occupied Palestine highlighted the alarming situation Tuesday in the Gaza Strip, noting that the closure of the Rafah border crossing is threatening treatment for more than 3,000 children. "We saw 200 families per hour moving, but it's a little bit difficult to go beyond and give a precise number at the moment," Andrea De Domenico, told reporters virtually as he highlighted the rapid displacement of civilians in the region. De Domenico highlighted the serious effect of the closure of the Rafah and Karem Abu Salim border crossings for humanitarian activities and access to fuel. He said humanitarian operations cannot take place without fuel, emphasizing the critical importance of fuel. "If nutritional supplies cannot be accessed due to the crossing closure, treatment of more than 3,000 children with acute malnutrition will be interrupted, as it will be the case for routine service," he stressed. Noting that there are three hospitals that are functional in Rafah , de Domenico said they will "become inoperable in the coming hours if the operations continue, depriving 1.2 million people of health care." "When the military operation approaches the areas where there are hospitals, the Israeli army requires the evacuation of hospitals," he said, stressing that hospitals are places that must be protected and respected, according to international humanitarian law. He said that Israeli officials have not yet provided information on when the crossings will reopen but noted they are in constant communication with officials to ensure the continuation of humanitarian operations. Highlighting the essential nature of fuel for humanitarian operations, de Domenico warned that key sectors will come to a halt within days if the fuel supply is not restored. He reported that food distribution to southern Gaza ceased Monday, and humanitarian partners anticipate running out of food stocks by the end of the week if the situation persists. De Domenico emphasized that the current situati on not only affects the north but also increases the risk of shortages in the south of Gaza. On the situation of children in Gaza, de Domenico highlighted that children have been deprived of safe learning environments for seven months. He emphasized the plight of vulnerable populations, particularly children and women, and said Israel's current attack will leave 625,000 children without education, leading to various risks such as "exploitation, child labor, and other forms of abuse." Regarding the concept of "safe zones," de Domenico said, "The entire zone that has been identified by Israeli and called by Israeli a 'safe zone,' we do not call it safe zone because we keep on saying that there is no safe zone." He recounted staying near a so-called 'safe zone' during his last visit to Gaza, only for it to be bombed. Criticizing Israel for not providing services to those pushed into supposed safe zones, de Domenico described the destruction he witnessed in Gaza as indescribably severe, with neighborhoods un recognizable and buildings systematically targeted. "The suffering that civilian populations are subjected to is simply beyond our ability to describe with words,' he said. Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: Taiwan has urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to support the island's inclusion in the World Health Assembly, the world's highest health policy-making body, in order to develop a comprehensive global health framework. Taiwan's Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan stated in an article about the 77th World Health Assembly published in the Malaysian English-language daily New Straits Times, that Taipei is committed to participating based on "professionalism, pragmatism, and making contributions." The article was published on Tuesday, a week after the US issued a statement urging the WHO to reinstate Taiwan's invitation to participate as an observer at this year's World Health Assembly, prompting an angry response from China, which considers the island nation as part of its territory. Taiwan is not a WHO member. "Taiwan believes that health is a human right. Yet the rights of Taiwan's 23 million people are disregarded by WHO for political reasons," Hsueh stated in the article. "Taiwan seeks to cooperate with WHO to remedy geographic gaps in global health security and to construct a comprehensive global health framework," he added. The minister expressed concerns about "weaknesses" in the International Health Regulations (2005) to manage the COVID-19 crisis, believing that the current international health governance framework is not "effective in responding to threats to global health." "There is vigorous debate around a new pandemic agreement, which aims to craft a robust global pandemic governance framework grounded in accountability, transparency, and equity. It may be approved at the 77th World Health Assembly," he went on to say. "We strongly support the adoption and implementation of amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) and the pandemic agreement," he stated, urging the WHO to include Taiwan as a signatory to these documents. This, he explained, would allow Taiwan to collaborate on monitoring new virus strains, reporting and exchanging pathogen diagnosis data, and sharing novel vaccine and antiviral research or clinical trial results. Enumerating his country's recent achievements in the health sector, the minister said, "We have improved medical care in small South Pacific island nations, enhanced nutrition for women and children affected by an earthquake in Haiti, provided psychological support to Ukrainian refugee women and children in Romania as well as aid workers; bolstered climate change adaptability in the Caribbean; and improved access to water, sanitation, and hygiene at healthcare facilities in Kenya." Furthermore, he added, Taiwan has provided humanitarian assistance through post-disaster recovery and reconstruction efforts that have helped people during disasters in the Philippines, Japan, Hawaii, Trkiye, and Indonesia. "Taiwan should be included, as a matter of pragmatism, in the World Health Assembly and all WHO meetings, activities, and mechanisms, particularly those concerned with the WHO pandemic agreement," he added. Source: Anadolu Agency

LUSAKA: Zambia saw a 37% year-on-year increase in malaria cases from 8.1 million in 2022 to 11.1 million in 2023, the country's health minister said Sunday. Sylvia Masebo said the country also saw a 19% increase in malaria deaths from 1,343 in 2022 to 1,602 in 2023, translating to 30,400 citizens being infected daily and four people dying per day from the disease. 'It is even more disheartening that 18% of these infections were in children under the age of five years and 1% were pregnant women,' Masebo told reporters in the capital Lusaka. On targeted interventions to combat the disease, Masebo said that Zambia through the National Malaria Elimination Center had completed the distribution of more than 11.6 million insecticide treated mosquito nets across the country. 'This translates into the protection of 23.2 million people with this intervention. However, I must emphasize that having or owning a mosquito net is one thing; the game-changer is the actual use. For these mosquito nets to be effective, they must be used correctly and consistently, every night and throughout the year,' she said. Masebo also indicated that 742,057 eligible structures had been sprayed through an indoor residual spraying program, protecting over 3.4 million people with the vector control intervention. On Thursday, Zambia will join the world in commemorating World Malaria Day under the global theme "Gender, health, equity and human rights," with the accompanying slogan: "Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world." Source: Anadolu Agency

NAIROBI: A strike by doctors in Kenya entered a second month this week and there are no signs Tuesday of resolution. Hundreds of medical practitioners paraded through the streets of the Kenyan capital, causing a traffic gridlock. The demonstration, organized by health care workers, demanded better working conditions and improved remuneration. It saw doctors, nurses and other medical staff marching with placards and chanting slogans. "Doctors remain resolute: We won't resume work until our concerns are resolved," Secretary-General of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), Davji Bhimji, told reporters. Public hospitals remain severely understaffed, leaving patients struggling to access essential care. Monica Kamau, a businesswoman, was stranded outside Mbagathi Hospital in Nairobi. "I've been waiting for hours, but there are no doctors available, there are some activities but it is very slow, many people are suffering even more than I am around here," Kamau told Anadolu. T he stalemate between the KMPDU and the government began with a strike March 14 and centers around a 2017 collective bargaining agreement that the doctors claim has not been fully implemented. Key points of contention include salary increases, improved working conditions and the hiring of additional medical personnel. Health Minister Susan Nakhumicha said Tuesday that a government-union agreement was imminent. "If not tomorrow, in the next few days we are going to reach an agreement," Nakhumicha told reporters. "I want to remind the doctors that we serve a common patient and ask them to come to the table and consider what the government has offered." Government officials have accused the KMPDU of being unreasonable, while the union maintains that it is fighting for the basic rights of health care workers. The consequences of the strike are devastating as patients with critical conditions are being turned away from hospitals all across the country and many are forced to seek expensive treatment at private facilities or resort to traditional healers. Source: Anadolu Agency