World Health Organization: Rebuilding the health sector in Gaza will cost $7 billion

Dr. Hanan Balkhi was speaking at a press conference today, Wednesday, ahead of the seventy-second session of the organization’s regional committee in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, next week.
Balkhi said “ray of hope” An end to the war may be in sight two years later. However, she stressed the importance of moving quickly – when the fighting stops – from “Respond to crisis to recovery because rebuilding Gaza’s health system will not only save lives today, but will restore dignity, stability and hope for the future.”
Dr. Balkhi added that the World Health Organization has been planning for the day after the conflict for a long time, and now has a clear vision of the way forward. She said the first step would be to restart hospitals while at the same time confronting hunger and malnutrition.
She said: “We are already far behind when the Palestinian health authorities report that 455 people – including 151 children, most of them under the age of five – have died from malnutrition since January.”
The Regional Director added that the World Health Organization and its partners are supporting the remaining centers that treat children with acute malnutrition, and are working to open new centers. “But lasting recovery means rebuilding food systems, restoring clean water, and enhancing sanitation – the foundations of public health.”
She added that donors must provide emergency aid that meets urgent humanitarian needs, and flexible, predictable, multi-year support that rebuilds infrastructure, strengthens local capacities, and allows Palestinian institutions to lead an inclusive, transparent, and sustainable recovery process.
Dr. Balkhi confirmed that the World Health Organization remained in Gaza and provided its services throughout the war, and was the main provider of medicines and medical supplies, supporting more than 22 million treatments and surgeries.
She said: “We stood with Gaza’s health workers when all they had left was courage, and we will stand with them now. WHO stands ready to support the next day’s response and recovery of Gaza’s health system by restoring essential services, strengthening the health workforce, and rebuilding a resilient, people-centred care system.”
Regional Committee
Dr. Balkhi told reporters that the regional committee scheduled to be held next week will bring together health ministers, policy makers and regional health leaders, and that its agenda brings together… “Immediate life-saving priorities and long-term fixes.”
She added that the ministers will consider a draft resolution to halve the number of children who have not received any vaccine by 2030, while also committing to eliminating rubella and congenital rubella syndrome.
She referred to a second draft resolution that would call for making palliative care an essential part of national health systems, as “Only one percent of the 2.4 million people who need it each year in our region actually receive it.”
Dr. Balkhi pointed to other decisions that ministers will consider, including early recovery of health systems in humanitarian contexts, laboratory safety, and addressing the health impacts of the climate emergency. She added that ministers will also be invited to endorse a call to action on breast cancer, which is the most common cancer among women in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.
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