Get Adnan out of Gaza to Sheffield University, UK

Aim

We want Adnan, a talented voluntary medic at Nasser Hospital, to take his unconditional place to study Public Health in the UK this year.

Please read Adnan's personal statement below to understand how he has risked his life over three years of genocide to provide the best care that he can to his patients under the most unimaginable circumstances at Nasser Medical Complex. We want to show our appreciation for his indefatigable efforts by raising helping him achieve his dream.

Due to a number of setbacks we have a very limited time to secure his fees, living expenses and accommodation fees for the year ahead which many of you have kindly pledged towards.

The expenses are are as follows:-

University Fees: £30,625
Living expenses: £10,539
Visa costs: £500
So total needed = £41,664

If we do not reach our target this year, we hope Adnan can defer his place and we try again for next year but given the situation on the ground we hope with all our hearts we can get him on an evacuation this year.

If we are unable to meet our target in this time the funds will be returned.

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ADNAN'S PERSONAL STATEMENT

A month later, my entire life changed beyond nightmares, and every day since I must overcome impossible tasks thrown in my way with the same commitment and focus to help my people. For me, Adnan Issa, public health is not an academic discipline. 

Here in Gaza, where all of our survival is not a promised thing, I have learned that protecting our nation’s health is not just a profession; it is a moral obligation.

My commitment to this field was shaped not by theory, but by the very wounds I carry on my body. I have survived three separate injuries - missile strikes and direct gunfire - sustained while attempting to rescue others.

I also completed my Bachelor of Nursing during the genocide. Studying while airstrikes shook the city and hospitals overflowed with casualties shaped my understanding of what it means to be a healthcare professional in its most profound form. It taught me discipline, adaptability, and the ability to learn and perform under conditions where most educational systems would collapse.

In Gaza I did not have the luxury of spending time learning how to research, but instead I had to jump into the fire. 

It was in the Emergency Department that I witnessed how the absence of public health infrastructure magnifies every tragedy in our world. These moments shaped my understanding of:

• the importance of epidemiological surveillance during crises

• the need for data‑driven resource allocation

• the role of leadership in chaotic, high‑pressure environments

This was where I learned that saving lives requires more than clinical skill: it requires systems thinking, resilience, and the ability to act decisively under extreme uncertainty.

I am seeking an academic environment that will allow me to transform my frontline experience into evidence‑based, globally relevant public health practice. The opportunity to research what I have been living means Sheffield’s MPH offers exactly what I need:

• Advanced quantitative training in epidemiology and statistics, enabling me to analyse trauma patterns, evaluate interventions, and contribute to data‑driven policy.

• A global health systems perspective, essential for rebuilding and strengthening healthcare delivery in conflict‑affected regions.

• Rigorous research portfolio which will allow me to investigate trauma care disparities, rehabilitation access, or emergency response models relevant to Gaza and other vulnerable populations.

• A diverse, collaborative cohort, where I can both learn from and contribute to peers committed to improving health worldwide.

• A vast choice of modules and specialisations will allow me to pick specifically with what is need to heal Gaza.

Sheffield’s emphasis on problem solving when teaching a full spectrum of public health principles aligns perfectly with my most ambitious dreams: to become a person capable of shaping health systems, not just working within them.

I am not merely applying for a degree; I am carrying a responsibility to my community, and to every one of the dear children I have encountered whose life has been altered by conflict. My scars are not symbols of suffering: they are reminders of the work that I still need to do. Through Sheffield’s MPH, I hope to transform personal trauma into public health leadership, and to help build systems where hope is not fragile, but protected.

Funding method

All or nothing – this project will only receive pledges if it reaches its target of £41,664 by 21st December 2026 at 10:22am