An estimated 155,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women in Gaza are encountering significant barriers to accessing prenatal and postnatal care, according to UN Women’s latest Gender Alert. The report highlights rising complications during pregnancy and childbirth, coupled with a critical shortage of essential medications for newborns. This data is drawn from comprehensive research, including a survey conducted across the region.
According to the survey, 92% of pregnant women in Gaza reported suffering from urinary tract infections, 76% from anemia, 28% experienced pre-term labor, 44% had hypertensive disorders, 16% reported hemorrhaging, and 12% faced stillbirths.
“More than 5,000 female cancer patients need immediate treatment, but all services have been suspended,” stressed UN Women.
The crisis comes as 70% of medications and 83% of medical supplies have been depleted, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health (MoH). This shortage has forced hospitals and healthcare facilities to suspend critical services, including heart surgeries, cardiac catheterization, and joint replacements.
The only cancer facility in Gaza is no longer operational, with radiotherapy and systemic therapy unavailable, according to the latest Humanitarian Situation Update from OCHA in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Women and girls are also disproportionately impacted by infectious diseases as the health crisis deepens.
According to the survey, 25% of women reported skin infections, double the rate found in men (12.5%). Additionally, women made up more than two-thirds of cases of hepatitis A and gastrointestinal diseases, a trend likely linked to their central role in caring for sick family members.
Women reported higher rates of diabetes compared to men and were twice as likely to suffer from hypertension, with access to necessary medications becoming increasingly scarce amid the ongoing healthcare crisis.
Between October 7, 2023, and September 18, 2024, at least 41,272 Palestinians were killed and 95,551 injured, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health (MoH).
