GAZA STRIP: The Gaza Strip’s first recorded polio case in 25 years, raising concerns among health workers and aid agencies about the challenges of launching a mass vaccination campaign in the war-torn region Palestinian territory.
Continuous Israeli airstrikes, restrictions on aid entering Gaza, and the hot summer weather are complicating efforts to carry out a life-saving vaccination drive. Despite these hurdles, the necessary equipment for the campaign, which could start on August 31 according to the UN, has arrived in the area.
The Palestinian Health Ministry in the occupied West Bank said that tests in Jordan had confirmed polio in a 10-month-old unvaccinated baby from central Gaza. According to United Nations (UN), Gaza hadn’t registered a polio case in 25 years, although type 2 poliovirus was detected in the territory’s wastewater in June.
Poliovirus, which spreads through sewage and contaminated water is an increasingly common problem across Gaza. This disease is particularly dangerous for children under five, leading to paralysis, deformities, and even death. The UN, along with the World Health Organization and UNICEF, plans to vaccinate 640,000 children across Gaza.
However, Israel’s devastating military campaign poses a significant challenge. “It’s extremely difficult to undertake a vaccination campaign of this scale and volume under a sky full of airstrikes,” stated Juliette Touma, director of communications for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
The plan involves 2,700 health workers forming 708 teams under WHO’s supervision, stated Richard Peeperkorn, the agency’s representative in the Palestinian territories.
UNICEF would ensure the cold supply chain as vaccines are brought into and distributed across Gaza, spokesman Jonathan Crickx stated.
