Urgent action needed to address the epidemiological threat of prolonged war in Gaza

Abstract

The prolonged war in Gaza has led to the near-total collapse of the healthcare system, leaving over two million people without access to essential medical services, clean water, electricity, or basic sanitation. Many hospitals have been bombed or are barely functioning due to extreme constraints. Healthcare personnel are overwhelmed, injured, or forced to work under dangerous conditions. Essential medicines and vaccines are critically lacking. In this context, the risk of large-scale outbreaks of infectious diseases—such as cholera, hepatitis A, measles, and typhoid fever—is rapidly increasing, especially among displaced populations living in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.

This policy comment highlights the urgent need for coordinated international action to prevent a major public health catastrophe. It calls for the immediate protection of remaining health infrastructure, restoration of disease surveillance systems, and facilitation of humanitarian access for medical supplies and personnel. Without swift intervention, thousands more lives could be lost—not just to violence, but to entirely preventable and treatable illnesses.

Protecting public health during war is not optional—it is a binding duty under international law, and a pressing moral imperative for the global community.