FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 30, 2026

MEDIA CONTACT:
Lucy Carradine, [email protected]

A new report by the international medical aid organization MedGlobal warns that rodents and other pests are impacting sites hosting over two-thirds of Gaza’s population – over 1.4 million people. Reports from MedGlobal’s dedicated team of clinicians and care providers in Gaza indicate that displacement camps are ravaged by these pests, creating a surge in bites, disease and a public health emergency.

The new report from one of the leading aid providers in Gaza warns that children and pregnant women are among the most affected by the crisis stemming from overcrowding, poor hygiene, and constant exposure. Between January and May 2026, MedGlobal facilities recorded over 10,000 consultations for conditions commonly spread by rodents or insects, including dermatological diseases, scabies, impetigo, gastrointestinal illnesses, and hepatitis, indicating a correlation between worsening exposure to pests and a growing public health crisis.

“One of my greatest concerns is the increasing spread of rats, mosquitos and other disease vectors in Gaza,” said Dr. Salwa Al-Tibi, MedGlobal’s Country Director in Gaza. “The ongoing conflict has damaged essential services and created living conditions that make disease prevention extremely difficult.”

The report points to several major drivers of the pest crisis:

• Poor Conditions in Displacement Sites – Garbage, rubble and overcrowding attract rodents and pests, provide nesting places, and facilitate the spread of disease.
• Fuel and Electricity Shortages – They are crippling hospitals and essential services including garbage pickup, wastewater treatment and sewage systems.
• Water and Sewage System Failures – Infrastructure was badly damaged by the conflict and has remained crippled and degraded during the ceasefire, with clean water production declining.
• Destruction of the Healthcare System – Severe shortages of medicines, antibiotics, laboratory supplies, and diagnostic equipment limit both treatment and disease surveillance.

“Rat and pest infestations are the visible symptoms of a systematic collapse. Health, water, and sanitation systems across Gaza are still unable to fully function, leading to human waste piling up near camps, hospitals lacking essential medicine and diagnostic tools, and limited clean water,” said Anastasia Moran, MedGlobal’s Director of Global Advocacy. “In a prolonged crisis, there is a risk that the international community becomes desensitized to what are, in fact, deeply abnormal conditions. Living conditions that enable rats to thrive are not fit for families and children to live in.”

“This report makes clear that the spread of pests across Gaza is not an unavoidable environmental problem, but a symptom of a wider collapse of critical services,” said Joseph Belliveau, Executive Director of MedGlobal. “Through urgent action – including an increase in the availability of fuel, water, housing materials, pesticides and other sanitation supplies – we can bring this crisis under control.”

MedGlobal operates 16 medical points and health centers across all five governorates of Gaza, providing primary care, mental health, emergency services, and other health services. The organization also fully supports a maternity and reproductive health hospital in the Middle Area, treating more than 1,400 patients every day. MedGlobal also provides nutrition services, with two nutrition stabilization centers and mobile teams that performed over 163,000 malnutrition screenings in 2025, treated malnutrition cases, distributed supplements, and offered essential medications, therapeutic food, and follow-up care. This work is possible thanks to MedGlobal’s team that includes 400+ local Palestinian doctors, nurses, and staff, supported by international medical missions.

MedGlobal is a humanitarian nonprofit organization that provides emergency response and health programs to build resilience among vulnerable communities around the world. The organization’s health programs support victims of crisis and conflict, refugees, internally displaced persons, and marginalized communities in disaster-affected and low-resource settings.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 29. 2026

MEDIA CONTACT:
Lucy Carradine, West End Strategy Team
[email protected], 504-351-7635

MedGlobal is sending an emergency medical aid team to the Caracas and La Guaira areas of Venezuela this week to help provide emergency supplies and support to the city’s rescue workers and hospital networks, following the devastating twin earthquakes on Wednesday that have left over 1,500 people dead.

MedGlobal’s emergency medical teams have extensive experience operating in crisis zones around the world – including a team based just across the border in Colombia, where they provide healthcare for migrants and others who are underserved by the local health system. During the week-long mission, MedGlobal will aim to help sustain local health workers with critically-needed supplies including painkillers and antibiotics, facemasks and scrubs, portable ultrasound machines, hospital bed sheets and more.

With local hospitals overwhelmed and many heroic rescue workers facing their own injuries and health challenges as they search amid the rubble, MedGlobal’s volunteer team will provide consultations and wound care as well as other logistical, supply and training support as needed.

“The devastation in Venezuela is immense and heartbreaking. Hospitals are overwhelmed and under-supplied,” said Joseph Belliveau, executive director of MedGlobal. “Our medical emergency team is ready to treat the wounded, provide supplies and support the health system now and for the critical weeks ahead.”

If you’re interested in interviewing MedGlobal’s volunteer doctors during their time providing medical relief in Venezuela, please contact Lucy Carradine, [email protected].

MedGlobal is a humanitarian nonprofit organization that provides emergency response and health programs to build resilience among vulnerable communities around the world. The organization’s health programs support victims of crisis and conflict, refugees, internally displaced persons, and marginalized communities in disaster-affected and low-resource settings.

MEDIA CONTACT: 
[email protected]; 504-351-7635
Lucy Carradine, West End Strategy Team 

CHICAGO – A new in-depth report released by leading humanitarian aid organization MedGlobal finds that an alarming trend of extreme shortages of medicines and medical equipment is turning many treatable non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, and kidney failure, into death sentences.  

“Silent Crisis”: The Collapse of Chronic Disease Care in Gaza,” makes clear: “Constraints on aid entry are a key barrier to treatment.” From March 3-11, 2026, MedGlobal conducted a rapid assessment based on interviews with frontline health professionals across all Gaza governorates, ultimately finding that Gaza’s health system is no longer able to sufficiently sustain chronic care. They found a collapse of essential medicines supply, gaps in critical medical equipment, mass disruptions in treatment, widespread deterioration in patient outcomes, and a rise in deaths.  

“In Gaza, an estimated 350,000 people living with chronic conditions face a rapidly deteriorating situation and preventable suffering,” 

Joseph Belliveau, MedGlobal’s executive director

“In Gaza, an estimated 350,000 people living with chronic conditions face a rapidly deteriorating situation and preventable suffering,” said MedGlobal’s executive director, Joseph Belliveau. “Our rapid assessment provides frontline clinical evidence that the conflict and supply restrictions have triggered a system-wide collapse in the continuity of NCD care, transforming manageable conditions into life-threatening emergencies. Without immediate intervention, deaths will accelerate.” 

The report found that 94% of surveyed health workers reported gaps in insulin availability for diabetes care. Over 30% of respondents report patients have stopped treatment entirely due to medicine shortages, while 28% are skipping doses to make limited supplies last longer.

More than 9 out of 10 health workers report increases in heart attacks and diabetic ketoacidosis (92% and 94% respectively), while 83% are seeing increases in strokes. 

“Every day, we witness patients with cancer, chronic illnesses, and kidney disease struggling to survive without access to the medicines and treatments they desperately need,”

Dr. Salwa Al-Tibi, MedGlobal’s Country Director in Gaza

“Every day, we witness patients with cancer, chronic illnesses, and kidney disease struggling to survive without access to the medicines and treatments they desperately need,” said Dr. Salwa Al-Tibi, MedGlobal’s Country Director in Gaza. “Behind every medicine shortage is a patient whose condition is worsening, whose suffering is increasing, and whose hope is fading.” 

“This crisis was as predictable as it was preventable. Treatable conditions like diabetes are turning into death sentences because basic medicine and equipment are not entering at scale almost nine months since the ceasefire deal. Medical supplies must be surged into Gaza immediately. Every day of delay is costing more patients their lives,” said Anastasia Moran, MedGlobal’s Director of Advocacy. 

MedGlobal calls for an immediate and rapid scale-up of medical aid, deployment of international medical teams, and an unhindered flow of humanitarian supplies, which are critical to stabilizing healthcare delivery and preventing further loss of life.  

Senior MedGlobal leaders and MedGlobal team members inside Gaza are available for interview to discuss the ongoing healthcare crisis in Gaza, and why ongoing medicine and medical equipment restrictions can be a death sentence for Palestinians with otherwise treatable conditions.  

MedGlobal is a humanitarian nonprofit organization that provides emergency response and health programs to build resilience among vulnerable communities around the world. The organization’s health programs support victims of crisis and conflict, refugees, internally displaced persons, and marginalized communities in disaster-affected and low-resource settings. 

Yamen just wanted to play with his friends.

The eleven-year-old boy always had to walk carefully through the rubble-strewn streets of Gaza, because his cracked glasses were prone to slipping down his nose. His poor vision made it difficult to see and impossible to keep up as the other children kicked a deflated ball around.

Sometimes, his only choice was to sit alone on the sidelines as the blurry shapes of his friends ran by.

It was during one of these moments that my sisters and I noticed him for the first time. My sisters saw what was happening and asked if there was anything I could do to help the boy whose vision was preventing him from having fun with his friends.

The next day, I came back with a small box. “Yamen,” I called, and he turned, squinting to see who I was. I handed him a new pair of glasses,  and he put them on, smiling ear-to-ear as the world came into focus.

He thanked me, then ran off to play with the other kids. For the first time in a long time, Yamen was just another child having fun with his friends.

But sadly, happiness rarely lasts very long in Gaza.

When the attack came, it was sudden and merciless. I heard the news two days ago: Yamen had been wounded in the strike and didn’t survive.

He was buried wearing the glasses I gave him. 

It comforted me, in a bittersweet way, to think that he could see clearly now—perhaps in a world where there is no fear, no war, only peace and safety. I like to believe he’s running and playing somewhere far better than here, no longer held back by broken glasses or imminent danger.

But I feel the sadness deep in my chest. Yamen was just a boy, like so many others who deserve to live, to laugh, and to play without fear. Our children deserve peace. They deserve a chance at life.

And yet, here we are.

– Rajaa Musleh, MedGlobal’s Country Director in Gaza

Next week, on November 30, it will be #GivingTuesday.

Created as a global generosity movement, Giving Tuesday is the perfect opportunity to give back to your community and those around the world. This year, MedGlobal is raising essential funds to support free maternal health care for displaced women in Bangladesh, Colombia, Syria, and beyond.

We hope you will stand with us to help new and expecting mothers and their families. 

Here’s 5 reasons to give to MedGlobal’s maternal health programs:

1. Maternal deaths are a strong indication of a lack of access to quality health care and health disparity at large. By strengthening maternal health worldwide, we can begin to close these gaps. These deaths are defined as those which occur while pregnant or within 42 days of the end of pregnancy. According to the World Health Organization, 99% of maternal deaths occur in low- and lower-middle-income countries. 
   
   Health disparities between low- and lower-middle-income countries and higher-income countries reflect an even greater risk for young adolescents. The probability of maternal death for a 15-year-old in a low-income country is 1 out of 45. In high-income countries, it is 1 in 5,400. More than half of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and almost a third in South Asia.

2. Maternal mortality can be a primary cause of death for women. In Bangladesh, maternal mortality is the third leading cause of death for women ages 15-49. Around 90% of women give birth in their homes and 36% do so without the support of a trained health worker or midwife. Although home labor does not always imply differences in care, these figures reflect a larger lack of access to health facilities and trained staff.
   
   MedGlobal’s Maternity & Birthing Center in Cox’s Bazar is currently working to increase access to maternal health care for displaced women in the Somitipara neighborhood of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The Center, which is run by a dedicated team of midwives, provides free antenatal care and delivery services for pregnant women and offers Mother’s Clubs that serve as a safe space for women to seek counseling, support, and health education.

3. The majority of maternal deaths are preventable. Poor quality care accounts for 50% of maternal deaths and 61% of neonatal deaths. The major complications which account for ¾ of maternal deaths are severe bleeding, infections, high blood pressure during pregnancy, complications from delivery, and unsafe abortions.
   
   Providing antenatal care, births with skilled personnel, postnatal care, and care for small or sick newborns are four targets which have been identified to address these complications and save lives. These are services that virtually all women in high-income countries receive and are widely unavailable for women in low- and lower-middle-income countries. By guaranteeing these aspects of basic care, we can reduce preventable deaths and invest more time in finding solutions to complicated cases. 

4. Supporting the maternal health of displaced women is a critical, yet often overlooked part of humanitarian responses. Pregnant women are one of the populations most likely to experience negative health outcomes and even death throughout migration routes. Even once pregnant women arrive in a host country, they still face challenges due to lack of access to health care, interpretation services, and overall continuity of care. In Europe, migrant women were 2x as likely to die during or shortly after birth. 
   
   Many women fleeing Venezuela through the Venezuela-Colombia border face these dangers as they migrate. MedGlobal is responsible for the Comuneros Clinic in Cúcuta, Colombia, which primarily serves displaced Venezuelan women and their children. In 2020, 20% of Venezuelan migrant women who gave birth in Cúcuta were patients of the Comuneros Clinic. Many were forced to leave Venezuela due to the ongoing maternal and child health crisis in the country, where infant mortality has increased by 30% and maternal mortality has increased by 65%.

5. These initiatives place the value on women’s lives that they deserve. Healthy women and healthy pregnancies have a far-reaching impact on communities and families. We can prevent and identify future health problems for women and their children by identifying existing health risks during pregnancy. These are the factors that lead to successful future generations and they are well within our reach. 
   
   Women are the primary caretakers of children and elders around the world. They are the primary advocates for education within families, business owners that form networked economic foundations for future generations, and most importantly, role models and loved ones. There are countless spaces that women fill in our lives, without which we would not be where we are today. For all these reasons, we ask that you support maternal health for displaced women around the world.

By Valerie Nguyen, MedGlobal Policy Intern

When the first booster shots were approved in the United States in September 2021, over half of the U.S. population was fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Meanwhile, less than 1% of people in low-income countries and 10% of people in lower-middle-income countries were fully vaccinated. According to the World Health Organization, booster doses are to be administered to a vaccinated population when the rate of immunity falls below a rate deemed sufficient over time. Already, 36 countries have begun administering COVID-19 vaccine booster doses. The U.S. tops the list with 1.24 million booster doses administered, followed by Turkey, Chile, and Israel.

Because of the increase in booster doses among high-income countries, low- and lower-middle-income countries have less access to the global vaccine supply. The World Health Organization estimates that if 11 wealthy nations were to administer boosters to everyone over the age of 50 years old, they would use up to 440 million doses of the global vaccine supply. Many, including the WHO, maintain that those booster shots would be more impactful if used to vaccinate communities in low- and lower-middle-income countries where more than 85% of people, or 3.5 billion, haven’t received a single dose. In contrast, 65% of people in high-income countries have received at least one dose. 

Vaccine promises made by high-income countries from goals set by the United Nations General Assembly COVID-19 Summit and COVAX initiative are also lagging in their predicted timelines. The Summit, which was held in September 2021, aimed to reach a global vaccination rate of 40% by the end of 2021 and 70% by mid-2022. Currently, the pace of vaccination in low-income countries needs to increase 19 times its current rate to inoculate 40% of those nations’ populations by the end of the year. The COVAX program, which aims to distribute 2 billion doses for countries in need by the end of 2021, has only delivered 400 million doses across 145 countries. The program faced delays in funding, so by the time funding was available, most of the global vaccine production was already reserved by other countries that could afford them. In addition, the majority of vaccines distributed by COVAX are purchased rather than donated, so a delay in funding has directly caused a delay in vaccine delivery.

So far, all booster doses have been administered in countries that can afford to purchase vaccines, leaving little room for low-income and lower-middle-income countries to reserve vaccines ahead of time. This has led to increased criticism of high-income countries hoarding the vaccine supply. Physicians for Human Rights COVID-19 Senior Policy Expert, Max Hadler, MPH, MA, states, “The United States and other high-income countries have hoarded an extraordinary proportion of the global vaccine…providing boosters for healthy residents in high-income countries without increasing global supply and distribution will deepen already unacceptable inequities in global vaccine access.” As a result, this leaves populations vulnerable to COVID-19 without equitable access to the vaccine, prolongs high COVID death rates in low- and lower-middle-income countries, and exacerbates existing health disparities worldwide.

By Emma Ackerman, MedGlobal Communications & Advocacy Intern

Last June in the Somitipara neighborhood of Cox’s Bazar, 20 year old Nazia* died in her home after enduring four days of severe labor pain during her first pregnancy. Her family was one of many unable to pay for transportation to a hospital or services of a skilled birth attendant.

The Somitipara neighborhood of Cox’s Bazar, also known as “Kutubdiapara,” is inhabited by an estimated 40,000 Bangladeshi internally displaced people (IDPs). Most residents are illiterate and live in extreme poverty, relying largely on the dry fishing business and rickshaw pulling for income. With an average daily income of an estimated $5.90 USD, the vast majority of residents are unable to afford even the most basic necessities- including medical care and adequate nutrition. Despite being located only 4.8 km (2.9 miles) outside of Cox’s Bazar proper, few health facilities or community health workers are available in the Somitipara neighborhood. Only 0.2 nurses and 0.5 doctors are available for every 1,000 Bangladeshi residents. Most people can’t afford medical expenses or even transportation to the few existing facilities.

Women of reproductive age, particularly pregnant mothers, and newborns are disproportionately impacted by the lack of available health care and education. Poverty has created heartbreaking conditions and exacerbated health risks for women of Cox’s Bazar. A recent Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey found that 90% of women go through labor in their own homes and 36% do so without the services of a trained health worker or midwife. Impoverished families often feel pressure to marry their daughters early in order to improve their economic situation. According to data collected by the Local Counselor office in Somitipara, on average girls are married by the time they reach 15. Child marriage increases chances for complications or even death during delivery for mothers and newborns. For Bangladeshi women ages 15-49, maternal mortality is the third leading cause of death. Three hundred women out of 100,000 die giving birth in Somitipara- a maternal mortality rate that is 44% higher than the national average of Bangladesh.

MedGlobal has worked in Cox’s Bazar since 2017, as part of our overall mission to reduce health disparities. In February 2021, MedGlobal established a Maternity & Birthing Center in order to increase access to free maternity, birthing, and neonatal services in the underserved community of Somitipara, Cox’s Bazar. Part of the Maternity & Birthing Center operations includes facilitating Mother’s Club sessions for new and expectant mothers over 16 years old. These Mother’s Clubs educate women and girls in the catchment area of the Maternity & Birthing Center on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and encourage them to seek antenatal care and facility-based delivery. Topics of Mother’s Clubs sessions include:

• Hand washing
• Family planning and pre-birth planning
• Period danger signs during pregnancy
• Pregnant mothers’ activity
• Nutrition during pregnancy
• Pregnant mothers’ health care
• MedGlobal Maternity & Birthing Center’s services
• Deciding roles and responsibilities of family members during pregnancy
• Menstrual hygiene
• Awareness of child marriage issues

Since the opening of the Maternity & Birthing Center on March 1, 2021, MedGlobal’s maternity team has formed 15 Mother’s Clubs, each with approximately 15-20 members. Each club meets at least twice a month for 20-25 minute sessions. So far, nearly 60 sessions have been held across Somitipara. The clubs are coordinated by a President and a Secretary, both of which are community members. Doctors and midwives of MedGlobal’s Maternity & Birthing Center present the health education materials during meetings and encourage open communication and connection among each club’s members.

Establishment and implementation of the Mother’s Clubs have not always been smooth sailing. MedGlobal staff members have faced numerous challenges throughout the implementation process. Some of the challenges include stigmas & superstition that can impact care seeking behavior, family pressure, and shyness. Project Coordinator Kazi Morjina feels that community engagement is the avenue to overcoming these challenges and is the most impactful aspect of the Mother’s Clubs.

“Community women know our midwives and midwife assistants. Community mothers like our team members. By gaining trust and giving the best 24/7 quality services and disseminating our service related information whenever community mothers come to seek healthcare services, community mothers can get sustainable care in the long-term.”

-Kazi Morjina

MedGlobal’s Mother’s Clubs aim to impact the long-term health of Somitipara neighborhood residents. According to Kazi Morjina, community members previously unable to access health care and unaware of MedGlobal services are now actively seeking out facility-based health services and spreading community awareness. When asked about the power of these Mother’s Clubs, Kazi Morjina shared the inspiring story of Noor*:

“She is very poor. Her husband left her when she conceived their third child. She has no family. She stays here at Somitipara alone with her two children. When our Mother’s Club reached Somitipara, she willingly came to be a regular member. She got to know  about our services and she became our patient. She is happy to have us because she has no one else beside her. Our midwives gave her the confidence that they would be with her until her delivery. She kept trust in our team and gave birth to a baby girl at midnight at our Maternity & Birthing Center in July. Our whole team supported her as much as her family.”

-Kazi Morjina

Increasing reproductive health education and awareness through programs like these Mother’s Clubs is vital for improving the long-term health for pregnant women, new mothers, and future generations of Cox’s Bazar.

*names changed for anonymity