Sustained Care Critical for Gaza’s Child Amputees

• Thousands of children in Gaza who have undergone amputations due to war face severe health risks due to a lack of follow-up care and the inability to replace prostheses as they grow.
• Growing children require adjustments or replacements every 6 to 12 months, but critical supply shortages and blockade restrictions prevent necessary maintenance.
• WHO data indicates 1 in 5 of the over 5,000 recorded amputees are children; fewer than 25% have received permanent prosthetics since September 2024.
• Medical professionals report a critical lack of skilled personnel and materials, including specialized tools and basic medical supplies like antibiotics and painkillers.

The Impact on Children

• Children like eight-year-old Mohammed Akram Abu Aker face pain, mobility loss, and psychological distress as outgrown prostheses cause severe discomfort.
• Many children rely on crutches and wheelchairs, which are difficult to use in Gaza’s damaged infrastructure, leading to social isolation and reluctance to attend school.
• The primary wish for many of these children is to regain the ability to engage in activities like football.

Systemic Resource Shortages

• Rehabilitation facilities face severe constraints in staffing, equipment, and raw materials such as plaster of Paris and thermoplastic filaments for 3D printing.
• Gaza has only nine prosthetic and orthotic professionals, falling significantly short of the global standard of one professional per 250–300 amputees.
• Importation delays for medical equipment are significant, with 18 shipments pending clearance and wait times ranging from 130 to 520 days.

Burn Injuries and Ongoing Care

• Beyond amputations, there are 3,400 recorded cases of major burns requiring long-term rehabilitation.
• MSF clinic teams struggle with 3D technology for Transparent Facial Orthosis (TFO) due to a lack of filament and spare parts for printers.
• Experts emphasize the need for long-term international commitment and specialized investment rather than just emergency intervention.