9 October 2025. After two years of war in Gaza, Doctors of the World today publishes a devastating field study highlighting the systematic obstacles imposed by the Israeli government on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive healthcare in Gaza.
These attacks compromise their physical and mental integrity, dignity, privacy, and the future of an entire people. They constitute elements of genocide. It is imperative that Third States intervene to establish an immediate ceasefire and end these crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Between May 2024 and August 2025, Doctors of the World documented ongoing attacks on health centers and a dramatic shortage of essential staff and medical supplies in Gaza. In this context, access to prenatal care, emergency obstetric services, family planning, and protection against sexual and gender-based violence is severely obstructed.
- Of 22,747 sexual and reproductive health consultations conducted at Doctors of the World health centers in Gaza, 36% were for genital infections linked to lack of water and hygiene, and the high cost of menstrual products (at least $15 for a basic pack of pads). Some women reported having to use scraps of old cloth as protection.
- 84% of women affected by infections had been displaced at least once since the start of the war.
- 85% of pregnant women are at risk of complications, and our teams report increasing malnutrition, making them the primary victims of this intentional famine, which may spread to the south of the enclave if nothing changes (malnutrition among pregnant and breastfeeding women screened rose from 31.3% in July 2025 to 35% in August 2025).
Another alarming figure: according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, miscarriages have quadrupled. These are direct consequences of the conflict, lack of access to contraception and abortion, and absence of pregnancy follow-up.
- Overall, our teams observed an increase in curative consultations and a decrease in preventive consultations, such as prenatal check-ups. This trend was most pronounced in areas most affected by attacks, particularly in the north of the enclave.
- During the truce from January to March 2025, infections dropped by 50% and prenatal consultations increased — clear evidence that these suffering are entirely caused by the blockade and the war.