The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF are set to launch a mass polio vaccination campaign targeting nearly 600,000 children in the Gaza Strip, as health officials race to contain the virus's rapid spread in the war-torn enclave.
According to Al Jazeera, the initiative will inoculate more than 591,000 children under the age of 10 between February 22 and 26.
The urgency of the campaign follows a WHO survey indicating that the poliovirus was found in 88% of environmental samples collected across Gaza, raising alarm over a potential outbreak.
Poliomyelitis, or polio, is a highly infectious disease primarily affecting children under five. It is transmitted through person-to-person contact and can lead to paralysis, permanent disability, or death by attacking the nervous system.
The vaccination campaign comes against the backdrop of a prolonged humanitarian crisis in Gaza, exacerbated by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war that erupted on October 7, 2024.
Following a deadly incursion by Hamas militants into Israeli territory and the subsequent Israeli military response, the region has been under a total blockade and sustained airstrikes.
A ceasefire brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US temporarily halted hostilities on January 19, 2025, but the healthcare infrastructure in Gaza remains severely compromised, making disease prevention efforts even more critical.
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