As of the time of writing, Aline is the first child in Gaza to die from the disease. Health officials in the Strip said at least 15 cases have been recorded so far, with expectations that the outbreak will worsen given the dire medical and living conditions faced by the majority of the population.
… Nine children are currently being treated at Nasser Hospital with meningitis. Other than these confirmed cases, others have been reported at al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital and al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Dr. Ahmad al-Farah, head of the pediatric department at Nasser Hospital, said there is still no official figure for the total number of cases across Gaza, as preventive medicine authorities are expected to announce comprehensive data within the next 48 hours.
… Al-Farah notes that the disease itself is not new, but what is alarming about the current wave is that all recorded cases so far are bacterial, which require immediate antibiotic treatments or risk serious complications, including hearing loss, vision loss, paralysis, brain damage, and even death.
… Al-Farah stressed that malnutrition is the primary factor weakening children’s immune systems. Doctors observed that all children diagnosed with meningitis at Nasser Medical Complex were suffering from varying degrees of malnutrition. Their families, he added, are also experiencing food insecurity.
… Of the nine cases treated at Nasser Medical Complex, five were diagnosed with bacterial meningitis caused by Streptococcus, an aggressive strain that requires 10 to 15 days of treatment. “What is particularly concerning,” al-Farah said, “is that children are typically vaccinated against this bacterium. The fact that vaccinated children still contracted the disease indicates severe immune system weakness, likely linked to widespread malnutrition.”
