GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center) The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza has warned of a sharp rise in cases of acute flaccid paralysis among children, amid worsening health conditions and a dire shortage of essential medicines caused by the Israeli blockade.
In a statement on Monday, the ministry confirmed three deaths from Guillain-Barré syndrome, including two children under the age of 15 who died due to the unavailability of life-saving treatment.
The ministry described the situation as a “looming infectious disaster,” noting that lab results detected intestinal viruses not linked to polio, indicating a dangerous spread of pathogens in a deteriorating public health environment.
The ministry reported 45 cases of acute flaccid paralysis in June and July, an unprecedented surge, warning that this outbreak is being fueled by severe water contamination, collapse of sanitation infrastructure, widespread malnutrition, and medicine shortages.
Dr. Mohammed Hejjo, head of intensive care division at Abdul Aziz Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital, explained that Guillain-Barré syndrome attacks the peripheral nervous system, starting with weakness in the lower limbs and progressing to the upper body.
If the respiratory muscles are affected, the child may suffer from respiratory failure, requiring immediate ventilatory support, a service often unavailable due to the collapse of Gaza’s health system.
Dr. Hejjo emphasized that malnutrition, exacerbated by the Israeli blockade, severely reduces children’s chances of recovery. “Hunger weakens muscle function and the immune system, worsening the progression of paralysis and increasing the risk of death,” he said.
The Health Ministry called on international humanitarian organizations to intervene urgently by supplying medications and pressuring for the immediate lifting of the blockade.
It stressed that continued restrictions on the entry of food and medicine since the tightening of the siege on March 2 are aggravating the health crisis and endangering thousands of children.
