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The ongoing conflict in Gaza continues to take an unbearable toll, with severe implications for healthcare. Since the beginning of the war in October 2023, hundreds of aid workers have been killed and nearly all of the Gaza population (about 85% as of end of May 2024) has been displaced severally. Many of them live in makeshift, overcrowded, unsanitary, and insecure shelters and camps with insufficient food, water, healthcare, and other basic necessities.

The frequent attacks on healthcare have caused serious fatalities and grossly degraded the capacity of the health system to respond to healthcare needs in the territory. Only 16 of the 36 public hospitals and less than half of the primary healthcare facilities are operational, partially or minimally. One of the direct consequences of these is the outbreak of diseases such as diarrhoea, respiratory diseases, hepatitis A, etc. For example, there has been more than 23-fold increase, above the 2022 figures, in the monthly reported diarrheal cases among under-5 children, and, recently, polio virus was detected in wastewater samples.

The Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal (EMHJ) is calling for submissions for an expedited special issue that will focus on the impact and implications of the war in Gaza for healthcare, as well as lessons and policy implications for the healthcare sector.

Types of manuscripts expected

Manuscripts can be developed and submitted as commentaries, original research articles, short research communication, review articles, and reports. We are particularly interested in system-focused articles that have implications for policymaking. Key areas of focus include, but not limited to:

Maternal, neonatal, child and reproductive health

Functionality of hospitals and healthcare centres in Gazafectious disease outbreaks and associated risks

Antimicrobial resistance as a result of atrocities

Complications resulting from non-availability of non-communicable disease services

Mental health, including psychosocial impact of the war

Epidemiologic trends and data

Assistive technology, including innovative limb and other forms of support

Impact of displaced populations on health services in neighbouring countries

Submission information

Interested authors should submit their manuscripts through the Editorial Manager at: https://www.editorialmanager.com/emhj/default.aspx 

Manuscripts must comply with the “Information for authors” available at:

https://www.emro.who.int/emh-journal/authors/ 

Please indicate in your submission that the manuscript is for consideration for the special issue on health implications and health risks of the war in Gaza.

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Call for papers: Special edition on digitalization of health information systems

Background and rationale

A robust health information system (HIS) is the backbone of a well-functioning healthcare system. HIS is essential for providing timely and quality data to inform national, sub-national, and facility-level decision-making. At the global level, data from HIS is key for monitoring progress towards Universal Health Coverage, Sustainable Development Goals and World Health Organization's General Programme of Work.

Recent developments in HIS provide opportunities which, if leveraged, can contribute to increasing the efficiency, safety, and quality of healthcare delivery as well as reducing inequalities in access to services and health outcomes. These opportunities include the implementation of electronic systems that capture data at individual, health system and population levels; implementation of electronic medical records; availability of health insurance claims data; the potential to link clinical and service utilization data with other data sources; and linking hospital information systems with clinical guidelines and clinical decision support tools.

Objectives of the special edition

1. Document progress, review experiences, and share lessons learned by countries and partners in digitalizing HIS.
2. Document findings from research on digitalization of healthcare from different countries and research settings.
3. Highlight specific areas such as the often-neglected aspects of the institutional changes required to digitalize HIS and to respond to possible controversies.

Manuscripts should explore:

1. Countries' experiences in strengthening HIS: challenges, successes and lessons learned
2. Developing sustainable HIS that can survive changing funding priorities
3. Institutional changes needed to digitalize data, e.g. capacity building
4. Going beyond data warehouses and dashboards: transforming data into information and evidence that can be used to inform decision-making and create an information culture
5. The holy grail: is digitalization the solution to all problems affecting HIS?
6. Contributions and limitations of HIS digitalization for improving health outcomes
7. Any other aspects relevant to HIS.

Submission information

Manuscripts can be submitted in Arabic, English or French in the form of original research articles, short research communication, commentaries, reviews, and reports. Interested authors should submit their manuscripts through the Editorial Manager at: https://www.editorialmanager.com/emhj/default.aspx. 

Manuscripts must comply with the "Information for authors" available at: https://www.emro.who.int/emh-journal/authors/. 

Deadline for manuscript submissions is 31 December 2024.