THE first case of Polio has been confirmed in Gaza, as aid groups prepare to deliver a mass vaccination programme.
Polio was eradicated in Gaza 25 years ago, but since the start of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza more than 10 months ago - which has so far killed more than 40,000 Palestinians - the number of vaccines being administered has plummeted.
The worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza has meant that the virus is able to spread more easily, as hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are crowded into tent camps lacking clean water or proper disposal of sewage and rubbish.
In July, the virus was detected in wastewater in six different locations. At least one case has been confirmed so far, whilst others are suspected.
Aid groups are hoping to vaccinate more than 600,000 children in the coming weeks to prevent a widespread outbreak.
However, they have said that they cannot do so unless there is a pause in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Unicef, the United Nations children’s agency, said in a joint statement on Friday that – at a minimum – a seven-day pause is needed to carry out a mass vaccination plan.
The UN aims to bring 1.6 million doses of polio vaccine into Gaza, where sanitation and water systems have been destroyed, leaving open pits of human waste in crowded tent camps.
Families living in the camps have little clean water or even soap to maintain hygiene and sometimes use wastewater to drink or clean clothes and dishes.
At least 225 informal waste disposal sites and landfills have cropped up around Gaza – many close to where families are sheltering, according to a report released in July by PAX, a Netherlands-based non-profit organisation that used satellite imagery to track the sites.
Polio, which is highly contagious and transmits mainly through contact with contaminated faeces, water or food, can cause difficulty breathing and irreversible paralysis, usually in the legs. It strikes young children in particular and is sometimes fatal.
The aid group Mercy Corps estimates some 50,000 babies born since the war began have not been immunised against polio.
WHO and Unicef said on Friday that three children are suspected of being infected and that their stool samples were being tested by a laboratory in Jordan.
The Ministry of Health in Ramallah in the West Bank said late on Friday that tests conducted in Jordan confirmed one case in a 10-month-old child in Gaza. It was not immediately clear if this was one of the cases cited by WHO.
Health workers in Gaza are gearing up for a mass vaccination campaign to begin at the end of August and continue into September. The goal is to immunise 640,000 children under the age of 10 over two rounds of vaccinations, according to WHO.
The Israeli military body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, which goes by the acronym Cogat, said it is “preparing to support a comprehensive vaccination campaign”.
In a statement on Friday, Hamas said that it would support a seven-day truce to facilitate the vaccinations. Ceasefire talks resume in Cairo next week.
Before October 7, 99% of Gaza’s population was vaccinated against polio. That figure is now 86%, according to WHO. The goal is to get polio immunisation levels in Gaza back above 95%.
However, getting the vaccine into Gaza is just the first step.
UN workers face difficulties retrieving medical supplies and other aid because of Israel’s military assaults, fighting between troops and Hamas, and increasing lawlessness that has led to the looting of convoys.
Vaccines must also be kept refrigerated, which has become difficult in Gaza, where electricity is scarce. About 15-20 refrigerated trucks serve all of Gaza, and they also must be used to transport food and other medical supplies, said a senior Israeli army official with Cogat.
Palestinians also face difficulties getting around. Their inability to reach health facilities will be an additional obstacle to the vaccination campaign, said Sameer Sah of Medical Aid for Palestinians.
WHO said a pause in the fighting is vital to enabling “children and families to safely reach health facilities and community outreach workers to get to children who cannot access health facilities”.
Only about a third of Gaza’s 36 hospitals and 40% of its primary healthcare facilities are functioning, according to the UN. Despite this, WHO and Unicef say their vaccination campaign will be carried out in every municipality in Gaza, with help from 2700 workers.
