A new polio vaccination campaign has started in Gaza, aiming to protect children in the conflict-affected region.
On Sunday, a comprehensive polio vaccination initiative was launched in the Gaza Strip by Palestinian health authorities and United Nations agencies working together.
After the first case of virus in 25 years was detected in Gaza, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement to have brief ceasefires during their ongoing conflict.
In the previous month, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a 10-month-old boy had been afflicted with partial paralysis due to contraction of polio virus.
The existence of a paralysis case suggests that there may be hundreds more individuals who have contracted the infection but are asymptomatic.
Transmission of the extremely contagious virus occurs via polluted water or food, as well as through interaction with an individual who is infected.
The climate in Gaza is conducive for the proliferation of polio and other illnesses.
The counterattack by Israel has caused significant destruction, making it challenging for parents to provide their children with sufficient food and clean water.
Amal Shaheen, mother of Fedaa Azazi, expressed her terror upon learning about the polio case due to disrupted immunisation programmes for children caused by the ongoing conflict.
She stated, “While I was at the hospital taking care of my daughter’s hygiene, I had no idea what was going on with my other children who were in a tent.”
Shaheen, like many other mothers, expressed her eagerness for the vaccine to arrive soon and be distributed among all individuals.
Commencing in central Gaza, the immunisation initiative will expand to other regions over the next few days. Three consecutive days of ceasefire have been ordered for a minimum duration of eight hours each day.
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According to the United Nations, immunizing 640,000 children in Gaza within three days will be a huge undertaking and might require an extension of the vaccination schedule for at least another day.
The campaign encounters several obstacles, including persistent conflict, ruined infrastructure such as roads and hospitals that are inaccessible due to the war.
The WHO stated that for maximum efficacy within the given three-day window, immunization should be administered to no less than 90% of children under ten years old in Gaza.
Squalid tent camps house hundreds of thousands of Gaza‘s 2.3 million population, which equates to around 90% being displaced within the besieged territory.
Disease outbreaks have caused alarm among health officials due to the accumulation of uncollected garbage and putrid water flowing through the streets as a result of critical infrastructure bombings.
Furthermore, the extensive prevalence of hunger has rendered individuals even more susceptible to sickness.
According to Ammar Ammar, a representative of the United Nations children’s organization, there is no other option than to call for a ceasefire.
According to him, children in Gaza face not only the threat of polio but also other factors such as malnutrition and the cruel living conditions.
Roughly 160 sites throughout the area, including medical centers and schools, will administer the vaccinations.
Two rounds of oral polio vaccine will be given to children under 10 years old, with two drops being administered on each occasion. The second dose is scheduled for four weeks after the first.
