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Over Two Million Life-Years at Risk: Why Gaza’s Health Reconstruction Is a Moral Imperative

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The concept of "Healthocide," first defined by Abi-Rached and colleagues, describes the deliberate and systematic destruction of health systems as a weapon of war. Nowhere is this phenomenon more extensively documented than in Gaza, where the collapse of healthcare infrastructure since October 2023 has been rapid, wide-ranging, and intentionally sustained. The consequence is not only immediate excess mortality, but also profound, long-term loss of population health measured in life-years, a metric that captures both premature death and reductions in expected lifespan. To address the aftermath of such destruction, we propose the framework of "Healthogenesis," defined as a Palestinian-led, equity-driven, and rights-anchored approach to health system reconstruction in which international actors serve as enablers rather than agenda-setters. The aim of Healthogenesis is not merely to restore pre-war capacity, but to build a resilient, sovereign, and future-proof health ecosystem. Using available demographic and mortality data, we estimate that more than three million life-years have already been lost in Gaza since October 2023. Projection models suggest that an additional 1.1 to 2.2 million life-years could be lost over the coming decade unless an organized programme of reconstruction begins immediately. Quantifying harm in life-years reframes the discourse from moral outrage to measurable obligation. If Healthocide names the crime, then Healthogenesis outlines the cure: a coherent, data-anchored, ethically grounded roadmap for rebuilding a devastated health system and protecting the health futures of an entire population.

Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph23040484

Authors: Alessandro Vitale, Mohammad Abu Hilal, Umberto Cillo, Isabella Frigerio, Andrew A. Gumbs