"Meeting the health needs of Gaza in the time of Covid 19", Virtual Workshop, 27th March 2020

On the 27th of March, Forward Thinking convened a virtual workshop with Dr. Basem Naim to discuss the ongoing crisis and development of the COVID-19 epidemic in Gaza. Participants included officials, former ministers and current parliamentarians from Britain, Sweden, Ireland, and UN agencies.

Dr. Basem Naim is the Head of the Council on International Relations in Gaza. He served as former Palestinian Minister of Health in Gaza from 2007-2012.

The meeting covered the latest measures being taken to address the epidemic’s spread throughout the region and prepare for further outbreak. There is a significant shortage of essential medical supplies to treat and manage infections, and there is great difficulty in ‘social distancing’ in an area that already suffers from overcrowding and poor infrastructure.

Overcoming these challenges will require cooperation and collaboration between authorities across the region and international agencies at every level. The consensus of the meeting was that, it is vital to support Gaza not only with medical equipment to fill shortages but with medical expertise through connection with epidemiologists from overseas to learn from the experience of other countries in fighting COVID-19.

Forward Thinking will continue to facilitate coordination on the response to COVID-19, hold online discussions to better inform participants on the situation in the region, and explore all opportunities to enable a robust response to the crisis.