Web Desk
Gaza has reported its first polio case in 25 years, confirmed by the Palestinian health ministry on Friday. The 10-month-old child from central Gaza, who was not vaccinated, tested positive for the disease in Jordan. This alarming development comes amidst ongoing conflict in the region, which has disrupted public health efforts.
The situation in Gaza is dire, with over 640,000 children needing vaccinations, as highlighted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Guterres has called for two seven-day humanitarian pauses in the conflict between Israel and Hamas to allow for the critical vaccination campaign against type 2 poliovirus (cVDPV2).
Poliovirus is a highly contagious virus that spreads primarily through sewage and contaminated water. It can lead to severe deformities, paralysis, and even death, primarily affecting children under five years old.
UN agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, have developed plans to vaccinate children across Gaza. The goal is to conduct two seven-day vaccination drives, starting in late August, provided that the conflict pauses to ensure safe access to health facilities. More than 1.6 million doses of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) are expected to arrive in Israel by the end of August.
The resurgence of polio in Gaza poses a significant public health risk, not only to the region but to neighboring countries as well. This situation underscores the urgent need for humanitarian pauses in the conflict to prevent further health crises.
