{"title":"Cancer treatment challenges during Gaza's humanitarian crisis.","authors":"Samer Abuzerr, Shahenaz Najjar","doi":"10.26719/2025.31.2.116","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26719/2025.31.2.116","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93985,"journal":{"name":"Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de sante de la Mediterranee orientale = al-Majallah al-sihhiyah li-sharq al-mutawassit","volume":"31 2","pages":"116-117"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143675131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ahmed Hassan Albelbeisi, Alireza Hajizadeh, Amroo M Al-Zeer, Jalal Saeidpour, Edris Kakemam
{"title":"Prevalence and associated factors of mental health disorders among internally displaced persons in Gaza.","authors":"Ahmed Hassan Albelbeisi, Alireza Hajizadeh, Amroo M Al-Zeer, Jalal Saeidpour, Edris Kakemam","doi":"10.26719/2025.31.2.81","DOIUrl":"10.26719/2025.31.2.81","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>War and political instability continue in the Gaza Strip, and little is known about the impact on the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress and analyse the potential factors associated with them among internally displaced persons in the Gaza Strip.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional, descriptive survey used a structured self-administered questionnaire to collect data from internally displaced persons aged ≥ 18 years in Deir al-Balah and South Gaza between 15 June and 15 August 2024. It used the Arabic version of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 Items to investigate symptom severity for depression, anxiety and stress within one week before the survey. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 26.0.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress were 99.5%, 99.7% and 93.7%, respectively. Participants aged >40 years had a significantly higher likelihood of experiencing mental health disorder (P < 0.05). Majority of the participants (89.8%) were forced to change their shelter at least 2 times. Those who were forcefully displaced for more than 4 times had a significantly higher likelihood of experiencing mental health disorder (P < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We found a high prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among internally displaced persons in the Gaza Strip, particularly among those living in tents and those frequently forced to change their shelter. These findings support the urgent need for effective interventions to prevent and control these disorders among affected families in Gaza and similar conflict zones.</p>","PeriodicalId":93985,"journal":{"name":"Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de sante de la Mediterranee orientale = al-Majallah al-sihhiyah li-sharq al-mutawassit","volume":"31 2","pages":"81-88"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143675165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"War and environmental health in Gaza.","authors":"Cavit Isık Yavuz, Sevilcan Basak Unal","doi":"10.26719/2025.31.2.151","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26719/2025.31.2.151","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93985,"journal":{"name":"Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de sante de la Mediterranee orientale = al-Majallah al-sihhiyah li-sharq al-mutawassit","volume":"31 2","pages":"151-153"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143674862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A narrative review of mental health and psychosocial impact of the war in Gaza.","authors":"Ibrahim Aqtam","doi":"10.26719/2025.31.2.89","DOIUrl":"10.26719/2025.31.2.89","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The current war in Gaza has resulted in extensive destruction, displacement and severe health challenges, affecting mental health and psychosocial wellbeing. High rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and complex grief are prevalent, disrupting social networks, family cohesion, and community structures.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To provide an overview of the mental health and psychosocial impact of the war in Gaza, identify research gaps and highlight key considerations for improving mental health and psychosocial support in conflict settings.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This narrative review examined published studies and reports focusing on mental health and psychosocial support strategies and intervention effectiveness, as well as challenges in the delivery of mental health and psychosocial support in the Gaza Strip.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Findings revealed high rates of mental health disorders driven by violence, loss and displacement. Interventions such as community-based programmes, telemedicine and culturally adapted care show promise but there are gaps, including the need for longitudinal studies and gender-specific analyses.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The war in Gaza has imposed a substantial mental health burden on individuals, disrupting community wellbeing. We advocate context-sensitive interventions, integrated into emergency response and recovery and emphasizing resilience, community support and culturally adapted care.</p>","PeriodicalId":93985,"journal":{"name":"Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de sante de la Mediterranee orientale = al-Majallah al-sihhiyah li-sharq al-mutawassit","volume":"31 2","pages":"89-96"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143675126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ola Anabtawi, Ayah Abu-Farha, Basma Shwaikeh, Saly Shanik, Tala Eid, Aya Ibrahim, Manal Badrasawi
{"title":"Cross-sectional study of the potential effects of October 2023 war on food security in the State of Palestine.","authors":"Ola Anabtawi, Ayah Abu-Farha, Basma Shwaikeh, Saly Shanik, Tala Eid, Aya Ibrahim, Manal Badrasawi","doi":"10.26719/2025.31.2.118","DOIUrl":"10.26719/2025.31.2.118","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Research on food insecurity in the State of Palestine, including its impact on dietary habits, remains limited.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To examine the prevalence of food insecurity in Nablus Governorate, West Bank.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We collected quantitative data from representatives of 352 households aged ≥18 years and quantitative data from 12 household breadwinners at 9 locations in Nablus. We analysed the data with SPSS version 22 and used chi-square test to determine the associations between food insecurity and various study variables.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the 328 participants, 21.6% were food insecure, of which 17.7% were moderate and 4% severe. Food security was higher in the cities (46.7%) than the villages (38.9%) and camps (14.4%). Food insecurity was significantly associated with employment status (P < 0.001), number of breadwinners (P < 0.00) and the types and frequencies of food groups available for consumption.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Continuous war, movement restrictions and increasing unemployment are exacerbating food insecurity and food injustice in the West Bank, especially in refugee camps. Policies and strategies are needed to improve food sovereignty and security in the State of Palestine.</p>","PeriodicalId":93985,"journal":{"name":"Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de sante de la Mediterranee orientale = al-Majallah al-sihhiyah li-sharq al-mutawassit","volume":"31 2","pages":"118-126"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143675144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A roadmap for healing Gaza's battered health system.","authors":"Hanan H Balkhy, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus","doi":"10.26719/2025.31.2.54","DOIUrl":"10.26719/2025.31.2.54","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Healthcare has been a primary casualty of the recent conflict in Gaza, a 365-square-kilometre territory of 2 million residents. By the time a tenuous ceasefire agreement was reached in late January 2025, after more than 500 days of bombardment and heavy artillery attacks, at least 47 354 Palestinians had been killed and 111 563 others injured. More than 92% of the housing units had been destroyed or damaged, and practically the entire population had been displaced, requiring emergency shelter and essential household items.</p>","PeriodicalId":93985,"journal":{"name":"Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de sante de la Mediterranee orientale = al-Majallah al-sihhiyah li-sharq al-mutawassit","volume":"31 2","pages":"54-55"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143675114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The devastating effects of Gaza war on healthcare.","authors":"Imad Asmar","doi":"10.26719/2025.31.2.77","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26719/2025.31.2.77","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93985,"journal":{"name":"Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de sante de la Mediterranee orientale = al-Majallah al-sihhiyah li-sharq al-mutawassit","volume":"31 2","pages":"77-78"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143674719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Population health management in Gaza after the devastation.","authors":"Hatem H Alsaqqa","doi":"10.26719/2025.31.2.148","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26719/2025.31.2.148","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93985,"journal":{"name":"Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de sante de la Mediterranee orientale = al-Majallah al-sihhiyah li-sharq al-mutawassit","volume":"31 2","pages":"148-150"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143675164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abdullah Ghali, Elias Nasser, Tareq Nasser, Ali Elaydi, Bilal Irfan, Mosab Nasser, Khaled Saleh
{"title":"Don't shoot the messenger: The role of journalists in Gaza's health sector.","authors":"Abdullah Ghali, Elias Nasser, Tareq Nasser, Ali Elaydi, Bilal Irfan, Mosab Nasser, Khaled Saleh","doi":"10.26719/2025.31.2.99","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26719/2025.31.2.99","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93985,"journal":{"name":"Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de sante de la Mediterranee orientale = al-Majallah al-sihhiyah li-sharq al-mutawassit","volume":"31 2","pages":"99-100"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143675147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Resurgence of polio during Gaza conflict.","authors":"Samer Abuzerr, Sammer Marzouk, Dang Nguyen, Cameron Sabet","doi":"10.26719/2025.31.2.136","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26719/2025.31.2.136","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93985,"journal":{"name":"Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de sante de la Mediterranee orientale = al-Majallah al-sihhiyah li-sharq al-mutawassit","volume":"31 2","pages":"136-137"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143674599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}