United Nation:In a swift response to the looming threat of polio in Gaza, the World Health Organization (WHO) is dispatching over 1 million polio vaccines to protect the enclave’s children from the highly infectious disease. The urgent measure comes after the detection of polio in sewage samples, sparking fears of a potential outbreak amidst the devastated region’s dire sanitary conditions.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus sounded the alarm, warning that without immediate action, the disease could spread rapidly among the thousands of unprotected children. The vaccines will be administered in the coming weeks, aiming to prevent a potential polio emergency that could claim more lives than war-related injuries.
Humanitarians have raised concerns about the catastrophic consequences of a polio outbreak in Gaza, where disastrous sanitary conditions have already led to outbreaks of hepatitis A and other preventable diseases. The lack of access to healthcare has further exacerbated the crisis.
The discovery of vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 in sewage samples has prompted the WHO to convene health ministers from across the Eastern Mediterranean region to combat the circulating variant polio virus type 2. The meeting underscored the need for intensified surveillance, mass polio immunization campaigns, and a safe environment for vaccination roll-out.
As the region grapples with the threat of polio, the WHO has emphasized the urgent need to stop all forms of polio virus in the Eastern Mediterranean, home to the last two countries with endemic wild polio virus transmission: Pakistan and Afghanistan. The clock is ticking, and the international community must act swiftly to contain this outbreak and protect the children of Gaza.
