GAZA STRIP: The Gaza Strip has recorded its first case of polio in 25 years, prompting urgent measures by health workers and aid agencies to initiate a mass vaccination campaign despite significant obstacles.
The outbreak, confirmed in a 10-month-old unvaccinated baby from central Gaza, has raised alarm as the region endures relentless air strikes by Israel, restrictions on aid, and extreme summer temperatures. The United Nations has indicated that a comprehensive vaccination campaign could begin on August 31, with necessary equipment already arriving.
The Palestinian health ministry in the occupied West Bank reported that tests from Jordan confirmed the polio case. Although Gaza had not seen a polio case for 25 years, type 2 poliovirus was detected in wastewater samples from June. The disease, which primarily affects children under five, can lead to severe complications, including paralysis and death.
UN agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, are preparing to vaccinate 640,000 children across Gaza. The campaign will involve 2,700 health workers in 708 teams, with the WHO overseeing operations and UNICEF ensuring the cold supply chain for vaccine distribution. Cold chain equipment, such as refrigerators, has already arrived at Israel’s main international airport, with approximately 1.6 million doses of the oral vaccine expected to enter Gaza soon.
Challenges to the campaign include the ongoing military conflict, which has resulted in extensive casualties and widespread destruction of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure. The health system is severely compromised, with only a fraction of hospitals fully operational and capable of maintaining the cold chain necessary for vaccine storage.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for two seven-day pauses in the conflict to facilitate the vaccination effort. However, with Gaza’s population displaced and living in makeshift camps or UNRWA schools, reaching the targeted 95 percent of children under 10 remains a formidable challenge.
The Israeli defense ministry has indicated a willingness to collaborate on the polio response, although specific details about the joint efforts were not provided.
