The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed Gaza’s first case of polio in more than 25 years, marking a significant health crisis amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The patient, a ten-month-old baby, has been left paralyzed by the virus, highlighting the urgent need for vaccination efforts.
The WHO’s announcement follows its warning last month about the potential for widespread polio infection in Gaza if preventive measures were not promptly implemented. Polio, which spreads primarily through the faecal-oral route, can cause severe paralysis and death in young children. Despite a 99% global reduction in polio cases since 1988 due to extensive vaccination campaigns, the disease remains a critical concern in areas with limited healthcare access.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini emphasized that polio does not discriminate between Palestinian and Israeli children. He stressed that delaying a humanitarian pause could exacerbate the spread of the virus among children. UNRWA plans to launch a vaccination campaign by the end of the month, utilizing both primary healthcare centers and mobile clinics.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed grave concern over the confirmed polio case. He revealed that genomic sequencing linked the virus to a type 2 poliovirus variant found in Gaza’s wastewater earlier this year. The affected child, who has paralysis in the lower left leg, is currently in stable condition. WHO, UNICEF, and the Palestinian Ministry of Health are collaborating on two rounds of vaccination in the coming weeks to prevent further transmission.
The vaccination campaign faces significant challenges due to ongoing Israeli air strikes, restricted aid access, and the region’s harsh summer conditions. Despite these obstacles, essential equipment for the campaign has arrived, with 1.6 million doses of the oral polio vaccine expected to enter Gaza soon.
The UN agencies have developed a comprehensive plan to vaccinate 640,000 children in Gaza. This effort will involve 2,700 health workers organized into 708 teams. Richard Peeperkorn of the WHO noted that the cold supply chain for vaccine distribution is critical, with some components already arriving at Israel’s main international airport. UNICEF will oversee the cold chain logistics to ensure the vaccines are effectively distributed.
Juliette Touma of UNRWA highlighted the difficulty of conducting such a large-scale vaccination campaign amid relentless air strikes. She noted that Gaza’s health system, already severely damaged, includes only 16 functional hospitals, with just 11 capable of maintaining the necessary cold chain for vaccines.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for two seven-day ceasefires to allow for the safe administration of polio vaccines. With nearly all of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents displaced at least once during the conflict, reaching affected populations remains a significant challenge.
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