Displaced Palestinians in Gaza face a new threat as the World Health Organisation (WHO) rushes to send 1.2 million polio vaccines to the region after the virus was detected in wastewater. The agency’s chief, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced plans for two rounds of vaccination targeting 600,000 children under the age of eight, with the first round set to begin on 17 August.
Polio is a highly infectious disease that can cause paralysis or death and is primarily spread through contact with fecal matter. The situation in Gaza is dire, with only 16 out of 36 hospitals partially functional due to a 10-month-long Israeli military operation.
The WHO faces a “huge logistical challenge” in ensuring the safe deployment of the vaccine doses, as they must be stored within a specific temperature range from manufacturing to administration. The agency has called for a ceasefire and “absolute freedom of movement” during the vaccine rollout, but previous requests for humanitarian ceasefires have been denied by Israel.
Testing conducted by the WHO revealed that sewage samples in Gaza tested positive for polio, indicating that the virus has been circulating in the region for some time. The conditions in Gaza, including displacement, overcrowding, sewage contamination, and lack of clean water, create an ideal environment for polio transmission.
The WHO warns that Gaza has become a “polio epidemic zone” and blames the reappearance of the virus on Israel’s military offensive and the destruction of health facilities. With less than half of Gaza’s primary healthcare facilities operational and sewage pumps destroyed, the region is at risk of a widespread disease outbreak.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has resulted in thousands of casualties, further exacerbating the already dire health situation in the region. The WHO’s urgent vaccination campaign aims to prevent the spread of polio and protect vulnerable children in Gaza from this deadly disease.
