The Second International Conference on Rebuilding the Health Sector in Gaza was titled “Justice for Gaza: The Role of International Law in Protecting Health, Education, and Civil Society amid Conflict.” The event was co-organized by the American University of Beirut (AUB) and the Gaza Health Initiative and was held on AUB’s campus between June 20-21, 2024. As part of its agenda, 50 influential speakers from academia, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society organizations spoke before a wide audience. Participation in this conference was both in-person and virtual.

The conference’s opening addresses were given by AUB’s President Dr. Fadlo Khuri, Gaza Health Initiative Chair, Dr. Omar Lattouf, and its Co-chair Dr. Fawzi Al Hammouri. In their speeches they said respectively:

“The destruction of education and healthcare is profound, and the response to this requires both immediate actions and long-term planning. Upholding international law and human rights principles is integral to this support.” - AUB President, Dr. Fadlo Khury

“This conference is to support, rebuild, and strengthen Gaza’s healthcare system so that the memory of those who were killed never leave us." - Gaza Health Initiative Chair, Dr. Omar Lattouf

“Justice for Gaza” is a reminder to the world that the Gazans have the same rights as everyone else. Our humanity entails that we care for their rights and protect them from death, displacement, food deprivation, water scarcity, and ill health.” - Gaza Health Initiative Co-chair, Dr. Fawzi Hammouri  

The conference’s sessions served to document the legal, educational, humanitarian, social, and civic impact of the war on Gaza. Input was given by participants involved in the on-the-ground response in Gaza as well as those contributing remotely or indirectly. The event also served as a renewed call for peace, deeming it the ultimate solution for alleviating the suffering of Gaza’s population. From another angle, a call was also made, during the event, to advocate collective engagement among all stakeholders in conceptualizing and actualizing a plan to rebuild Gaza’s health sector.

EMPHNET’s Executive Director Dr. Mohannad Al Nsour participated in a conference session that focused on the role of immunization and surveillance in light of the public health crisis in Gaza. He spoke about the current immunization status seen there, while emphasizing the direct effect of war on vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) surveillance and disease outbreaks.

Following his talk, Dr. Al Nsour shared a list of recommendations to combat the surge in VPD cases and to bring about improvements in VPD surveillance. Through these recommendations, he stressed the importance of building health workforce capacities; performing catch-up vaccination campaigns; ensuring the provision of cold chain equipment; utilizing community participation; and considering innovative data reporting and management. He also stated that these recommendations should be implemented through multi-sectoral coordination and collaboration.

The conference agenda featured other panel discussions where participants exchanged recommendations on health and its social determinants. Also, as part of the event, health-related dialogues emphasized solutions for building health workforce capacity through innovative methods like distance education, online learning, and revitalizing the current infrastructure. From another angle, emphasis was placed on ensuring the effective delivery of health services including psychosocial support) and medical equipment availability. Discussions that went beyond the topic of health service delivery shed light on the importance of implementing laws that safeguard child health and that ensure peace and safety for civilians.