Polio Vaccination Campaign to Resume in Northern Gaza, Says WHO-UNICEF

Post by: Pratik Kumar

Photo : WAM

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have announced the commencement of the third phase of the polio vaccination campaign in parts of the northern Gaza Strip, beginning today. This phase had initially been scheduled for October 23, 2024, but was postponed due to severe humanitarian conditions, including lack of access to affected areas, heavy bombardment, and mass evacuation orders that hindered families from safely bringing their children for vaccination.

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In a joint statement, the agencies noted that while a humanitarian pause has been assured to facilitate the campaign, the scope of this pause has significantly decreased compared to the first round of vaccinations conducted in September 2024. Currently, the humanitarian pause is restricted to Gaza City, limiting the campaign's reach.

The statement highlighted a critical concern: around 15,000 children under the age of ten living in northern Gaza towns such as Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun remain inaccessible. Their exclusion from the vaccination efforts threatens the overall effectiveness of the campaign, as health officials stress that to effectively disrupt poliovirus transmission, at least 90% of all children in every community must receive the vaccine. Given the ongoing conflict and instability in the region, achieving this target poses a significant challenge.

Despite these barriers, the Polio Technical Committee for Gaza has decided to proceed with the campaign. This decision aims to prevent further delays in vaccinating as many children as possible, including those who have been recently evacuated to Gaza City from other areas in northern Gaza.

The current campaign follows the successful execution of the first two phases of the vaccination initiative in central and southern Gaza, where health workers managed to reach 451,216 children—96% of the targeted population in those regions. Additionally, during this vaccination round, a total of 364,306 children aged between two and ten have also received vitamin A supplements, further enhancing their health amid the challenging conditions.

The resumption of the polio vaccination campaign is a crucial step towards safeguarding the health of children in Gaza, especially in light of the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the challenges faced by healthcare providers in the region.

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