Another year of struggle and resilience in global health
This fortnight at the People's Health Dispatch
Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, is among the latest Palestinian health workers to be abducted and abused by Israeli forces for his medical work. His imprisonment, following a siege on the hospital in December 2024, has sparked global demands for his release and renewed attention to the systemic targeting of healthcare in Gaza.
Health activists argue that Israeli attacks on Gaza’s health sector are part of a new phase of global capital, where genocide is wielded as a tool of imperialism. Such strategies are unlikely to be confined to Gaza, highlighting the urgent need for mobilization against the ongoing genocide.
Wars driven by the Global North pose various health risks, including the rise in antimicrobial resistance fueled by the environmental impact of weapons. Metals used in arms, which linger in the environment, threaten the wellbeing of present and future generations.
Meanwhile, the global commercialization and privatization of health systems continue to erode health care access and equity. In Turkey, primary health workers have gone on strike against government policies pushing profit-driven efficiency, fighting for a people-centered health system.
In focus: Health in Palestine
Israel extends detention of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya amid ongoing attacks on health in Palestine
Israel has prolonged the imprisonment of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya without charges, while its occupation forces persist in targeting Gaza’s healthcare
Israeli destruction of Gaza’s healthcare is a blueprint for future imperialist wars
The destruction of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza has pushed healthcare to the brink of collapse, as freezing temperatures and ongoing Israeli attacks kill more Palestinians
The siege of Kamal Adwan Hospital: When Israel made a hospital, its staff, and patients, military targets
As part of its ethnic cleansing policies, Israel continues to systematically target medical facilities and health workers across the Gaza strip
Featured articles
Health workers in Brussels demand release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya
Health workers and activists in Belgium are rallying for the release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, abducted by Israeli forces following the siege of Kamal Adwan Hospital
Wars are fueling the rise of resistant superbugs in the Global South
Antimicrobial resistance, a full-fledged global health crisis, is compounded by the devastating impact of war and armed conflicts
Health workers in Turkey resist profit-driven primary care regulation
Primary health care workers in Turkey are fighting against new regulations that prioritize profit over essential care, continuing their struggle to protect the universal character of healthcare
