A 10-month-old baby has been partially paralysed after contracting polio in Gaza, United Nations officials have said.
According to the UN, Gaza, now in its 11th month of war, has not registered a polio case for 25 years, although type 2 poliovirus was detected in samples collected from the territory’s wastewater in June.
The 10-month-old, who was unvaccinated, is said to be in a stable condition after developing paralysis in one leg.
Humanitarian groups have blamed the re-emergence of polio in Gaza on disruption to child vaccination programmes and massive damage to water and sanitation systems caused by the war.
In order to try to contain the spread, the UN has been pressing for a week-long pause in fighting to carry out a polio vaccination campaign for more than 640,000 children under the age of 10.
UN Secretary General António Guterres said “hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza [are] at risk”.
He said that for the campaign to be successful, transport of vaccines and required equipment would need to be facilitated, as well as the entry of polio experts into Gaza.
It said in the coming weeks, an additional 60,000 vaccines will be delivered to vaccinate over one million children.
According to UN officials, a 10-month-old infant who contracted polio in Gaza is now partially paralysed.
The UN reports that although type 2 poliovirus was found in samples taken from the territory’s wastewater in June, Gaza, which is currently in its eleventh month of war, has not reported a case of polio in 25 years.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), expressed his “grave concern” and confirmed that preparations are being made to launch a vaccination campaign in the upcoming weeks.
One leg became paralyzed in the 10-month-old unvaccinated child, but now he is reported to be in stable condition.
Due to its high contagiousness, the poliovirus is primarily transmitted by sewage and contaminated water.
Potentially lethal, it can result in disfigurement and paralysis. Children under the age of five are the most affected.
Assistance organizations have attributed the reappearance of polio in Gaza to the war’s severe destruction of water and sewage infrastructure as well as the disruption of childhood immunization campaigns.
More than 640,000 children under the age of ten are to be vaccinated against polio, and the UN has been pushing for a week-long break in the fight to try to stop the spread.
According to UN Secretary General António Guterres, “hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza [are] at risk.”.
He said that in order for the campaign to be successful, it would be necessary to facilitate the entry of polio experts into Gaza as well as the transportation of necessary supplies and vaccines.
He added that other necessities included extra cash flow, adequate fuel, dependable communications, and safety measures for both patients and medical personnel traveling to and from hospitals.
UNICEF is arranging for cold storage units and the release of one million doses of vaccine, which WHO has approved. UNRWA medical teams will administer the shots once they reach Gaza.
The virus’s 25-year reappearance in the strip, according to UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, is “another sobering reminder of how chaotic, desperate and dangerous the situation has become.”.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on August 18 that, since the start of the conflict, 282,126 vials of the polio vaccine—enough for 2,821,260 doses—have been transferred to Gaza.
Over a million children will be vaccinated, according to the statement that an extra 60,000 vaccines will be supplied in the upcoming weeks.
As per the IDF, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) is overseeing the entry of vaccines and epidemic prevention supplies into the Gaza Strip.
The IDF stated, “This includes the entry of medical teams and vaccines against the polio virus.”.
When Hamas gunmen launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing roughly 1,200 people and kidnapping 251, Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza.
According to the health ministry of Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, over 40,265 people have died there since then. Details regarding combatant and civilian deaths are not disclosed. According to the UN human rights office, women and children made up the majority of those slain.
