Availability of essential medicines in 14 remaining health facilities in Gaza
1
Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerpen, Belgium
2
Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Sydney, Australia
3
Humanitarian Health and Crises Center, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
4
Manchester University Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
5
University of Dundee School of Medicine, Dundee, United Kingdom
6
Palestine Academy for Science and Technology, Ramallah, Palestinian Territory, Occupied
7
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A3447
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Access to essential medicines is an indicator of a functioning health system and a central pillar of universal health coverage. Their equitable availability reflects not only pharmaceutical systems’ performance but also broader vital issues, including health system resilience and the human right to health. Ensuring access to essential medicines is addressed in the Target 3·8 of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, yet remains elusive in conflict-affected regions. The aim of our study is to measure the availability of a basket of essential medicines in a sample of different medicine outlets in the Gaza strip.
METHODS:
Cross-sectional design based on the World Health Organization/Health Action International methodology for measuring availability of essential medicines. The study covered three groups of facilities: public hospitals and health centers, humanitarian/relief centres, and private pharmacies. Main outcome measures: The main outcome measure was the availability of 25 essential medicines. Availability was defined as the proportion of surveyed facilities where a given medicine was present at the time of data collection (21 May–9 July 2025).
RESULTS:
Across 14 surveyed facilities, availability of essential medicines in Gaza was far below the World Health Organization’s 80% target. In North Gaza, humanitarian centres (20%) and private pharmacies (23%) had very low availability, with no antidiabetic medicines, including insulin. In South Gaza, private pharmacies had the highest availability (64%), while public hospitals had 32%, with insulin and metformin absent. Several first-line None-communicable diseases treatments, including amlodipine and insulin were unavailable in public or humanitarian facilities.
CONCLUSIONS:
Essential medicine availability in Gaza is critically low, even among the few facilities still operational, underscoring the urgent need to supply life-saving treatments for NCDs and address profound geographic disparities. Sustainable recovery requires ending hostilities, lifting the blockade, protecting health facilities under International Humanitarian Law, and restoring Palestinian agency over the health system.
Access to essential medicines is an indicator of a functioning health system and a central pillar of universal health coverage. Their equitable availability reflects not only pharmaceutical systems’ performance but also broader vital issues, including health system resilience and the human right to health. Ensuring access to essential medicines is addressed in the Target 3·8 of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, yet remains elusive in conflict-affected regions. The aim of our study is to measure the availability of a basket of essential medicines in a sample of different medicine outlets in the Gaza strip.
METHODS:
Cross-sectional design based on the World Health Organization/Health Action International methodology for measuring availability of essential medicines. The study covered three groups of facilities: public hospitals and health centers, humanitarian/relief centres, and private pharmacies. Main outcome measures: The main outcome measure was the availability of 25 essential medicines. Availability was defined as the proportion of surveyed facilities where a given medicine was present at the time of data collection (21 May–9 July 2025).
RESULTS:
Across 14 surveyed facilities, availability of essential medicines in Gaza was far below the World Health Organization’s 80% target. In North Gaza, humanitarian centres (20%) and private pharmacies (23%) had very low availability, with no antidiabetic medicines, including insulin. In South Gaza, private pharmacies had the highest availability (64%), while public hospitals had 32%, with insulin and metformin absent. Several first-line None-communicable diseases treatments, including amlodipine and insulin were unavailable in public or humanitarian facilities.
CONCLUSIONS:
Essential medicine availability in Gaza is critically low, even among the few facilities still operational, underscoring the urgent need to supply life-saving treatments for NCDs and address profound geographic disparities. Sustainable recovery requires ending hostilities, lifting the blockade, protecting health facilities under International Humanitarian Law, and restoring Palestinian agency over the health system.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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