Date: Sunday, November 3, 2024 – Category: International
New York – The United Nations announced on Saturday that the long-awaited final phase of a UN-supported polio vaccination campaign has reached northern Gaza. This critical phase aims to vaccinate over 100,000 children in the besieged area, which has been heavily affected by ongoing violence.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released a joint statement, saying: “To overcome challenges posed by volatile security conditions and ongoing population movements, detailed plans have been laid out to adapt the campaign to the large-scale displacement and movements in the northern region following the initial campaign round in September.”
The initial phase, launched in September, was disrupted by continued Israeli airstrikes, ground clashes, and a lack of secure humanitarian corridors needed to safely distribute the vaccines. Over 200 teams were prepared since October 23 for the final round, but security challenges led to delays.
Polio had been eradicated in Gaza for over 25 years, yet the recent escalation of violence has led to a resurgence of health crises. Earlier this year, a 10-month-old child in Gaza was diagnosed with the virus, prompting health authorities to organize an emergency vaccination campaign.
Despite these efforts, health agencies cautioned that it may not be possible to reach all eligible children in northern Gaza for the crucial final dose.
In response, Gaza’s polio vaccination technical committee, comprising the Palestinian Ministry of Health, UNICEF, WHO, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and other partners, resolved to resume the campaign. However, there are significant concerns that the instability will hinder their ability to vaccinate all children.
So far, 364,306 children aged between 2 and 10 have received Vitamin A supplements as part of this campaign. However, for polio transmission to be effectively halted, at least 90% of children in each community and neighborhood must receive the vaccine—a target that remains challenging under current conditions.
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Author: nor-eleslam
Final phase of polio vaccination campaign in northern Gaza
