The World Health Organization is launching a campaign against polio in Gaza following the detection of the virus, though ongoing conflict poses significant challenges.
While no clinical cases have been reported, polio was found in sewage samples from Gaza’s Deir el-Balah and Khan Younis regions, according to WHO polio specialist Hamid Jafari in a Wednesday news briefing.
“We need a ceasefire, even a temporary ceasefire to successfully undertake these campaigns. Otherwise, we risk the virus spreading further, including across borders,” said Hanan Balkhy, regional WHO director.
On July 30, Gaza’s Health Ministry declared the territory a “polio epidemic zone,” attributing the virus’s resurgence to Israel’s prolonged military actions and the consequent destruction of health infrastructure.
The CPV2 strain of the virus was identified in wastewater samples from the Khan Younis area and central Gaza.
Children under five, particularly those under two, are most vulnerable due to the disruption of routine vaccination campaigns caused by the conflict.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced plans to send over one million polio vaccines to Gaza.
He emphasized that health workers need the freedom to move in Gaza to deliver these vaccines, stressing that a ceasefire or a few days of calm is crucial to protect children in the region.
“WHO is sending more than one million polio vaccines which will be administered in the coming weeks,” Ghebreyesus said.
Humanitarian advocates have underscored the urgency of ending the violence to address the health crisis in Gaza.
Balkhy also highlighted concerns about the development of antimicrobial resistance and the potential for these strains to spread to other countries.
Poliomyelitis, a highly infectious disease that can cause paralysis by attacking the nervous system, has seen a global decline of 99 percent since 1988 due to widespread vaccination efforts. The goal remains to completely eradicate the virus.
However, Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian access to Gaza and attacks on aid convoys, which have resulted in the deaths of numerous aid workers, complicate the situation.
The offensive has severely impacted Gaza’s healthcare system, with many hospitals out of service. The continuous displacement of Palestinians due to Israeli military orders further hampers efforts to reach unvaccinated children.
Additionally, the humanitarian crisis has led to a surge in diseases within Gaza.
WHO representative in the occupied Palestinian territory, Richard Peeperkorn, reported 24 times the normal rate of diarrhoea cases, over 100,000 instances of scabies and lice, and 70,000 cases of skin rashes due to overcrowding, inadequate sanitation, and contaminated water.
