​​Drops of hope: Polio vaccination in Gaza reflects irony amidst war crisis​​

In July, the Gaza Health Ministry declared the enclave a polio epidemic area, citing the months-long fighting as the main reason for the spread of the disease. Palestinian health authorities and UN agencies have started a large polio vaccination campaign in Gaza, aiming to vaccinate around 640,000 children. (Image source: WHO)

10-month-old Abdul Rahman is Gaza’s first polio case in 25 years, showing how war affects the future of children. The World Health Organisation warns that this one case might mean there are many more people with polio who don’t show symptoms. There is no cure for polio, and if it causes paralysis, it is usually permanent and can be fatal if it affects breathing muscles. (Image source: WHO)

In the first phase of the campaign, 513 teams made up of over 2,180 health and community outreach workers provided vaccinations at 143 fixed sites, including hospitals, primary care centres, camps for displaced people, and key public spaces like food distribution points and transit routes. Mobile teams also visited tents and hard-to-reach areas to ensure they reached families who couldn’t go to the fixed sites. (Image source: Agencies)

Gaza’s polio vaccination drive successfully reached over 187,000 children with the nOPV2 vaccine from September 1-3, 2024, achieving a target better than expected due to increased population movement and expanded coverage according to WHO. (Image source: Agencies)

The second phase of Gaza’s polio vaccination campaign, which began in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday and was extended on Sunday, will move north for the third phase on Monday. ( Image source: Reuters)

Dr Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative for the occupied Palestinian territory, said, "It’s been very encouraging to see thousands of children getting polio vaccines with the help of their brave families and health workers, despite the difficult conditions of the past 11 months. We are grateful that all parties respected the humanitarian pause and hope this positive momentum continues." (Image source: Reuters)

Medical and local authorities in the Gaza Strip reported that Israeli air strikes killed over a dozen people overnight into Saturday morning. Despite this, the polio vaccination drive continues, with the campaign set to shift to it's third phase on Monday. (Image source: Agencies)







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UN officials report progress in Gaza’s polio vaccination campaign, having reached over half of the children needing drops in the first two stages, according to ABC news. (Image source: Reuters)

Gaza has reported four cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), including one confirmed polio case with circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2). Two cases tested negative for poliovirus. (Image source: Reuters)

In Gaza, a major polio vaccination campaign aims to reach 640,000 children. The effort is underway across 150 centers with more than 2,000 medical workers involved. (Image source: Agencies)