Acute malnutrition among children in the Gaza Strip, Palestine
May 2024–November 2024
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21878808 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Dana Hassneiah (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center), Rana Sobh (Medacta (United States)), Fadi Abed (Medacta (United States)), Abdallah Aqel (Medacta (United States)), Mohammed ElDakroury (Medacta (United States)), Marwa Saleh (0000-0003-3499-9281, Medacta (United States)), Amir M Mohareb (0000-0002-3761-6154, Harvard University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue | 12 |
| Pages | e020764 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | BMJ Global Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2059-7908 • E-ISSN: 2059-7908 |
| Publisher | BMJ (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1136/bmjgh-2025-020764 |
| PMID | 41419256 |
| OpenAlex | W4417535556 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 12 |
INTRODUCTION: People in the Gaza Strip have been denied food and medical care through war and displacement since October 2023, introducing the risk of famine in the region. We sought to estimate the proportion of children assessed in nutritional centres with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in the Gaza Strip during this war. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of nutritional assessments for children up to 5 years old in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, from May 2024 to November 2024. We used de-identified data from humanitarian relief clinics to determine the proportion of MAM and SAM. We defined SAM as weight-for-length Z score <-3. For children above 6 months, we additionally used mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) <11.5 cm to identify SAM. We defined MAM as weight-for-height Z-score between -2 and -3, or MUAC 11.5-12.4 cm. We used logistic regression to determine factors associated with acute malnutrition. RESULTS: Of 22 901 children (49.6% girls; 12.0% in North Gaza), there were 2042 (8.92%, 95% CI 8.56% to 9.28%) children diagnosed with SAM or MAM during the study period. SAM was higher in North Gaza/Gaza City than in South/Middle Gaza (15.7% vs 0.4%, p<0.001). In North Gaza/ Gaza City, SAM was associated with having a deceased father (adjusted OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.24 to 3.06) and in children <6 months (adjusted OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.96). The prevalence of SAM decreased in North Gaza/Gaza City during this study period. CONCLUSION: A high proportion of children under 5 years old had evidence of SAM or MAM, particularly in North Gaza and Gaza City, which has been subjected to more intense bombings and restrictions in aid. Cessation of hostilities and resumption of humanitarian aid relief is urgently needed for children in Gaza
Gaza strip · Humanitarian aid · Malnutrition · Public health · Severe Acute Malnutrition · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Disaster Response and Management · Health and Conflict Studies
Damage to medical complexes in the Gaza Strip during the Israel–Hamas war
Public health implications of satellite-detected widespread damage to Wash infrastructure in the Gaza Strip
Nowhere and no one is safe’
Mid-upper arm circumference v. weight-for-height Z- score for predicting mortality in hospitalized children under 5 years of age
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |