Delivering Primary Healthcare in Gaza

Why It Matters

Primary health‑care is the frontline defense that keeps Gaza’s population from overwhelming crippled hospitals, making its restoration vital for humanitarian stability and long‑term health system recovery.

Key Takeaways

• Only 51% of Gaza primary health centers remain operational.
• Supply shortages force rationing of drugs and wound dressings.
• Primary clinics reduce hospital overload by treating common illnesses locally.
• UK Med’s new Jabalia clinic restores essential services in North Gaza.
• Risk communication and community engagement essential for patient self‑care.

Summary

The podcast “Frontline Shift” examines how primary health‑care centers sustain Gaza’s health system amid two years of conflict, with WHO coordinating emergency medical teams and UK Med operating clinics under the WHO EMT initiative.

Only 107 of 210 primary health‑care centers (51%) are functional; staff face chronic shortages of pharmaceuticals—55‑56% of drugs ruptured—and wound‑care supplies, while daily patient volumes have swung from 700‑800 to about 350 per clinic. Respiratory infections, gastroenteritis, obstetric care and wound management dominate the caseload, forcing clinicians to ration antibiotics and extend services beyond their usual remit.

A concrete example is the newly opened Al‑AlaB clinic in Jabalia, which restores access for displaced northern Gaza residents and prevents dangerous travel to distant hospitals. Clinicians stress the role of risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) to educate patients on hygiene, flu symptoms and when to seek higher‑level care, while operating from prefabricated tents under insecure conditions.

The continued operation of primary clinics is critical to prevent hospital collapse, provide continuity of care for chronic wounds and children, and support post‑conflict health‑sector rehabilitation. Scaling up supply chains, securing safe access routes, and expanding RCCE efforts are essential for Gaza’s health resilience and for international donors to prioritize primary‑care funding.

Original Description

After two years of conflict, only half of Gaza's primary health care centres remain functional. In this episode of the Frontline Shift, health workers from UKMed — an Emergency Medical Team working in coordination with WHO in Gaza since January 2024 — share what it has taken to keep primary health care going under relentless pressure. They discuss the immense challenges of operating with critical supply shortages, maintaining continuity of care for displaced populations, and reaching communities in areas with little to no functioning health infrastructure.

Primary health care is the entry point into the health system. Keeping it functioning is not just about treating illness, it is about restoring trust, dignity, and the foundations of a resilient health system for the people of Gaza.