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STORY: WHO / GAZA GUILLAIN BARRE SYNDROME
TRT: 05:40
SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT WHO ON SCREEN
LANGUAGES: ARABIC / ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 21 AUGUST 2025, AL AQSA HOSPITAL, DEIR AL BALAH, GAZA
1. Various shots, Waleed lying on hospital bed, his mother by his side
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Nujood Abu Ghalibeh, patient Waleed Ghalibeh’s mother:
“The first thing that happened to him was with his limbs, then he lost the ability to speak; couldn’t swallow either due to his lower jaw. He couldn’t blink anymore, and his eyes stayed open all time and were shedding tears. In his third day he entered the intensive care unit; his lungs stop normally functioning and he stayed at the intensive care for 17 days; after 15 days in the intensive care, he recovered the ability to breath normally, and they took him off ventilator. As he started losing weight on daily basis, he became malnourished. However, he slowly started moving his limbs, but he can’t stand up, he can’t eat or swallow; he eats through a pipe in his nose, he also breaths from a pipe in his neck, and most likely they will have another pipe installed in his abdomen.”
3. Various shots, screen showing a photo of Waleed before he was ill, Waleed looking at camera
4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Nujood Abu Ghalibeh, patient Waleed Ghalibeh’s mother:
“A couple of days later they have informed that there is no treatment for him her in Gaza at all, they have classified his condition Guillain-Barre Syndrome “GBS”, the only available treatment is a temporary one.”
5. Various shots, Waleed lying on hospital bed, Waleed’s mother comforting him
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Nujood Abu Ghalibeh, patient Waleed Ghalibeh’s mother:
“The thing that I wish for the most, and I truly want to see it in front of my eyes; is for my son talk, breathe, eat, drink, loves life, pray and walk on his feet like before. This is what I really wish for the most, for me to see him healthy like before.”
7. Wide shot, WHO surveillance team, Dr Ayman Abu Rahma
8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Dr Ayman Abu Rahma, Head, Preventive Medicine Department, Ministry of Health:
“Through the direct support of partners, the Ministry of Health, led by the World Health Organization, trained these individuals; teams are distributed across governates, and their main work is to directly deal with epidemic cases or in the event of an outbreak of infectious disease among the population and the displaced people God forbid.”
9. Wide shot, WHO surveillance team, Dr Ayman Abu Rahma
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Dr Ayman Abu Rahma, Head, Preventive Medicine Department, Ministry of Health:
“The reason behind a large portion of these cases are a result of the current economic situation or the state of instability, lack of security, repeated displacements cases, overcrowding, lack of sufficient clean water, unavailability of sanitation, no proper sewage system, shortages of food and on-going famine, all of these cases are a fertile environment for the spread of infectious diseases.”
11. Various shots, WHO surveillance team arriving to pick sample for testing, hospital
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Fathelrahman Elzain Ali, Public Health Specialist, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Whenever we receive an acute flaccid paralysis to the hospital, the doctor immediately will notify these cases to the Rapid Response Team. The Rapid Response Team will come and then will start the investigation, will fill the case investigation form. And then we will interview the doctor and also will interview the mother or the parent of the child to take the full history about the AFP (acute flaccid paralysis) case and then immediately will start collecting the two samples.”
13. Med shot, WHO surveillance team picking up cold box with sample inside
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Fathelrahman Elzain Ali, Public Health Specialist, World Health Organization (WHO):
“So, we will collect this sample in duplicate, and we will send it to the referral lab to for the isolation of the virus.”
15. Med shot, cold box being stored in vehicle
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 85 suspected Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) cases have been reported across the Gaza Strip since June.
The surge in case is partly because of improved acute flaccid surveillance, which is being implemented in Gaza by the Ministry of Health with support from WHO and partners.
This highlights the exacerbation of risk factors such as collapse of WASH infrastructure (water, sanitation, hygiene), overcrowding in shelters, malnutrition and compromised immunity, restricted access to healthcare and testing capacity.
WHO continues to work closely on strengthening surveillance and addressing the gaps related to laboratory and diagnostic capacity as well as treatment.
