WHO Sends Over a Million Polio Vaccines to Gaza Amid Health Crisis

The World Health Organization (WHO) is dispatching over one million polio vaccines to Gaza in a proactive effort to prevent the spread of the virus among children. This urgent measure follows the detection of the polio virus in sewage samples in the region.

In an opinion piece for The Guardian, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the critical need for immediate action. “While no cases of polio have been recorded yet, without immediate action, it is just a matter of time before it reaches the thousands of children who have been left unprotected,” he stated. He underscored that children under five, especially infants under two, are most vulnerable due to the disruption of normal vaccination campaigns caused by ongoing conflict over the past nine months.

Poliomyelitis, primarily spread through the fecal-oral route, is a highly contagious virus that can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis. Thanks to global vaccination efforts, polio cases have decreased by 99% since 1988. However, the current situation in Gaza poses a significant risk of a resurgence.

In response to the detection of the virus, Israel’s military announced it would begin offering polio vaccines to soldiers stationed in Gaza. Additionally, the UN has reported an increase in cases of Hepatitis A, dysentery, and gastroenteritis in Gaza, linked to deteriorating sanitary conditions and sewage overflow near displaced persons’ camps.