Latest news with #KrystelMoussally
Roya News
14-08-2025
- Health
- Roya News
Study reveals widespread drug-resistant bacterial infections in Gaza
A new analysis has revealed a high prevalence of antibiotic-resistant infections across Gaza, highlighting the growing public health crisis amid 'Israel's' war and blockade of the territory. Published Tuesday in the peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet, the study examined 1,300 specimens collected at al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City between November 2023 and August 2024. Researchers defined multidrug-resistant bacteria as those impervious to at least one drug in three or more classes of antibiotics. The analysis found that 66.9 percent of samples were multidrug resistant, with bacteria showing resistance to antibiotics including amoxicillin-clavulanate, cefuroxime, and cefotaxime. Resistance to ceftriaxone and ceftazidime was particularly high in bacteria isolated from infected wounds. The study also detected methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in some samples. 'This will mean longer and more serious illnesses and a high risk of transmission to others. It means an increased risk of death from really common infections. It means more amputations. It's a horrible picture,' said Krystel Moussally, epidemiology adviser to Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Al-Ahli Hospital is one of the few facilities in Gaza where a microbiology laboratory remains operational. The city has faced a near-total blockade on food and humanitarian aid since March, including restrictions on medical supplies. The World Health Organization (WHO) called on 'Israel' to allow urgent medical shipments to restock critical supplies, warning that the situation could worsen as 'Israeli' forces plan further operations in Gaza City. 'Over half of the Gaza health system's medicines are running at zero stock,' said Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in occupied Palestine. 'Cumbersome procedures have prevented the entry of vital medicines.' Peeperkorn added that only half of hospitals and 38 percent of primary healthcare centers were partially operational, with no facility functioning at full capacity. Bed occupancy has soared to 240 percent at al-Shifa Hospital and 300 percent at al-Ahli Hospital. The authors of the Lancet report stressed the international medical community's responsibility to respond. 'First and foremost, health-care workers and governments worldwide must advocate for the cessation of the Israeli military invasion that has resulted in a surge of trauma injuries and the widespread deliberate targeting of hospitals, laboratories, and water desalination plants,' they wrote. They also urged that functioning laboratories be stabilized and that drug supplies be coordinated across aid agencies to ensure treatment is aligned with the documented needs of hospitals. 'Without this ceasefire, the infection burden will escalate further,' the authors warned.
Middle East Eye
13-08-2025
- Health
- Middle East Eye
Bacterial infections resistant to multiple drugs are widespread in Gaza, study finds
Diseases resistant to antibiotics are prevalent across Gaza amid Israel's war and blockade across the territory, according to new analysis. A new peer-reviewed research comment published by the medical journal The Lancet on Tuesday analysed 1,300 specimens collected in al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City between November 2023 and August 2024. The study defined multidrug resistance as a bacterium that could not be killed by at least one drug in three or more classes of antibiotics. Analysis found that 66.9 percent of assessed samples were found to be multidrug resistant. The antibiotics the bacteria were resistant to included amoxicillin-clavulanate, cefuroxime and cefotaxime. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters It also found that resistance to two particular antibiotics, ceftriaxone and ceftazidime, was high in bacteria found growing in infected wounds. The presence of MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which is resistant to several antibiotics, was detected in some samples. A horrible picture It marks the first study since Israel's genocide in Gaza began in October 2023 to suggest a prevalence of multidrug resistant bacteria in the enclave. 'This will mean longer and more serious illnesses and a high risk of transmission to others. It means an increased risk of death from really common infections. It means more amputations. It's a horrible picture,' Krystel Moussally, epidemiology adviser to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), told the Guardian. Al-Ahli hospital is one of the only facilities in Gaza where a microbiology laboratory is still functional. Israel-Palestine war: More people could die from disease than bombs in Gaza, says WHO Read More » Israel has imposed a near-total blockade on food and humanitarian aid into Gaza since March, including the entry of medical supplies. The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday called on Israel to allow it to restock urgently needed medical supplies before an Israeli plan to 'take over' Gaza City worsened an already 'catastrophic' situation. Over half of the Gaza health system's medicines are running at zero stock, according to Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO's representative in occupied Palestine. Peeperkorn said Israel's 'cumbersome procedures' had prevented the entry of vital medicines into Gaza. He said only half of hospitals and 38 percent of primary health care centres were operating partially. No facility is operating at full functionality. Peeperkorn added that bed occupancy had reached 240 percent capacity at al-Shifa hospital, the largest medical facility in Gaza, and 300 percent at al-Ahli hospital. The authors of the Lancet report said that the international medical community had a 'duty to act' to respond to the crisis. 'First and foremost, health-care workers and governments worldwide must advocate for the cessation of the Israeli military invasion that has resulted in a surge of trauma injuries and the widespread deliberate targeting of hospitals, laboratories, and water desalination plants,' they wrote. 'Without this ceasefire, the infection burden will escalate further.' The authors added that laboratories that are still functional should be stabilised, and that drug supply should be coordinated across aid agencies and donors, 'so that the antimicrobial response is tailored to the documented need of hospitals'.
News18
13-08-2025
- Health
- News18
War-Ravaged Gaza Grapples With Deadly Surge In Antibiotic-Resistant Disease
Last Updated: Researchers analysed over 1,300 samples collected from al-Ahli hospital, which hosts one of the few remaining functional microbiology laboratories in the territory The situation in Gaza shows no sign of easing, as the region now faces a growing public health crisis with the rapid spread of antibiotic-resistant infections, raising fears of increased deaths from common illnesses. According to new research published on Tuesday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, this is the first study since the conflict began in October 2023 to show the widespread presence of multi-drug-resistant bacteria in Gaza, The Guardian reported. Researchers analysed over 1,300 samples collected from al-Ahli hospital, which hosts one of the few remaining functional microbiology laboratories in the territory. They found that nearly two-thirds of the samples contained bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics. 'This will mean longer and more serious illnesses and a high risk of transmission to others. It means an increased risk of death from really common infections. It means more amputations," said Krystel Moussally, an epidemiology adviser with Médecins Sans Frontières. 'It's a horrible picture." Experts warn that the spread of drug-resistant disease is worsened by Gaza's collapsed healthcare system, the lack of clean water and sanitation, and severe shortages of medicine. Hunger and malnutrition among the 2.3 million people living in Gaza have made many more vulnerable to infection. Co-author Bilal Irfan, a researcher with Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital, said the findings are 'particularly alarming" and stressed that the true scale of the crisis remains unknown due to the destruction of labs and deaths of medical staff. Gaza has long struggled with antibiotic resistance due to repeated conflicts and an Israeli blockade in place since 2007. However, experts say the current situation is unprecedented. The World Health Organization (WHO) had urged Israel to allow more medical aid into Gaza. 'We want to stock up, and we all hear about more humanitarian supplies are allowed in – well it's not happening yet, or it's happening at a way too low a pace," said Rik Peeperkorn, WHO's representative in the Palestinian territories. According to the WHO, only 50% of hospitals and 38% of primary healthcare centres in Gaza are partially functioning, with bed occupancy reaching 300% at some facilities. Israel's Ministry of Defence said it has sent over 45,000 tonnes of medical supplies to Gaza and helped set up 13 field hospitals. It also stated it will continue to allow medical aid in, while preventing its misuse by Hamas. Meanwhile, the Palestinian health ministry said 89 people were killed and over 500 injured in Israeli strikes across Gaza in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll since October 2023 to 61,599. view comments Location : Palestine First Published: August 13, 2025, 19:20 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
