david johnson

Cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death and illness in #Gaza. The conflict has severely diminished the health system's capacity to diagnose and treat it, and ongoing supply shortages continue to hold back service expansion efforts. Blood gas testing, a quick test that checks a patient's oxygen levels and shows how well the heart and lungs are working, has been suspended entirely. For critically ill patients, this is a lifeline that lets doctors catch a crisis before it's too late, yet without it, and with a severe lack of other essential lab and diagnostic supplies, doctors have far fewer tools to detect and manage heart disease. With support from @haseneorg, @WHO is helping sustain cardiology services in Gaza through the provision of critical supplies, supporting around 2,000 patients with diagnostic and cardiac procedures, including 20 receiving permanent pacemakers.