The Gaza Strip suffers from deteriorating health conditions in light of the war waged by the Israeli occupation forces on Gaza.
The director of the Martyr Muhammad Youssef Al-Najjar Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip, Dr. Marwan Al-Hams, said that smallpox is spreading among children in the Strip. He also indicated that the hospital receives about 1,500 cases of intestinal diseases daily, reports Al-Rai daily.
Al-Najjar had previously warned that smallpox, which is spreading among children, would turn into an epidemic within days, in light of the lack of the necessary treatments to contain this disease.
For his part, Sherif Hetta, a consultant in preventive medicine and public health, explained that smallpox and other respiratory diseases spread through coughing or sneezing, and infections with these diseases increase in the winter, as viruses are active in this season.
Hatta added that the poor health situation in the Gaza Strip and the lack of proper hygiene, especially with the severe water shortage, constitute a suitable environment for the spread of smallpox, according to Sky News.
He also stressed that smallpox is not dangerous and infects children and pregnant women at a higher rate due to their weak immunity.
