Doctors alarmed at rising meningitis cases in Gaza's children

In a ward of Nasser hospital in southern Gaza a woman is comforting her crying, 16-month-old granddaughter, one of those affected by what aid workers say is a surge of meningitis cases among the Palestinian territory's children.

"Sham's temperature suddenly spiked and she became stiff," said the grandmother, Umm Yasmin. "We couldn't find a car to carry her ... She was about to die."

The World Health Organization and medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières warn that conditions in Gaza after 21 months of war between Israel and Hamas have increased the risks of meningitis spreading, though they lack clear comparative data to measure the severity of recent outbreaks.

"There's been a rise in meningitis cases in children," said Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. "We are very concerned."

Typically, there is a seasonal increase in viral meningitis cases in Gaza between June and August, but the WHO is investigating the role of additional factors such as poor sanitation, limited access to healthcare, and disruption of routine vaccinations.

A child is loaded into an ambulance at Al-Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis. AFP

Those hospitals still operating are overwhelmed, with beds full and severe shortages of vital antibiotics.

"There is no space in the hospitals," Dr Mohammed Abu Mughaisib, deputy medical coordinator for MSF in Gaza. "There is no space to isolate."

Airborne and life-threatening bacterial meningitis can spread in overcrowded tents, according to the WHO. Viral meningitis, though less serious, often spreads through the fecal-oral route, meaning it can easily spread in shelters with poor sanitation, the WHO says.

At the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, Dr Ahmad al-Farra, head of the Paediatrics and Maternity Department, reported nearly 40 cases of newly admitted viral and bacterial meningitis in the last week.

In Gaza City to the north, the Paediatrics Department at the Rantisi Children's Hospital has recorded hundreds of cases in recent weeks, according to a report published by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Abu Mughaisib said a lack of lab tests and blood cultures that can help identify the bacteria causing infections was hampering diagnoses.

Nearly all Gaza's population of more than 2 million has been displaced by the war, which began in October 2023 when Hamas-led fighters stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Palestinian children sit at the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis. AFP

Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health authorities, triggered a hunger crisis, and left much of the territory in ruins.

More than 80% of Gaza is now an Israeli-militarized zone or subject to displacement orders, according to the United Nations.

Umm Yasmin said her daughter had contracted meningitis for the second time since being displaced. "The tents that we live in ... animals cannot live in them," she said.

Doctors warn that vitamin deficiencies and weakened immunity- resulting from limited access to fresh vegetables and protein-are increasing children's vulnerability.

The destruction of the sewage system and dirty water caused meningitis to spread, said Nasser hospital's Farra.

On May 19, Israel lifted an 11-week aid blockade on Gaza, but assistance since then has been limited. Supplies have been channelled through a controversial U.S.-and Israeli-backed group, bypassing the UN-led system.

The WHO has called for more antibiotics to be allowed into the enclave to treat patients.

Reuters