First confirmed case of polio recorded in Gaza amidst ongoing Israeli genocide

Gaza (Quds News Network)- The Ministry of Health has reported the first confirmed case of polio in the southern governorates of Gaza, marking a critical public health concern, especially as Israel continues to impose a strict siege on the strip, suffocating the health sector. The case was identified in Deir al-Balah, where a 10-month-old child, who had not received any polio vaccinations, displayed symptoms consistent with the disease.

Subsequent tests conducted in Amman, Jordan, confirmed the presence of a vaccine-derived strain of the poliovirus.

In response to this alarming development, the Ministry of Health announced an upcoming vaccination campaign targeting children under the age of 10. The campaign, set to begin in the coming days, will distribute 1.2 million doses of the type 2 polio vaccine, coordinated with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Efforts are also underway to secure an additional 400,000 doses.

The Ministry emphasized that the ongoing Israeli aggression against Gaza has resulted in a catastrophic health crisis, as confirmed by international organizations. The lack of basic hygiene supplies, inadequate sanitation services, accumulation of waste in streets and around shelters, and the scarcity of safe drinking water have created an environment ripe for the spread of waterborne diseases, including the vaccine-derived poliovirus.

In a strong appeal, the Ministry reiterated its call for immediate international intervention to halt the brutal Israeli assault on Gaza and to create conditions that allow for the provision of urgent healthcare services to the population in the besieged territory.

The Ministry also issued an urgent plea to all international organizations and agencies, stressing the need for immediate action to rebuild safe drinking water systems, restore sanitation services, manage medical and solid waste, and ensure the unrestricted entry of medical supplies, personal hygiene items, and fuel for pumping clean water.

The United Nations had earlier today requested two seven-day humanitarian ceasefires in Gaza to vaccinate over 640,000 children against polio, following the discovery of the virus in sewage samples from the region. The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF have laid out detailed plans to reach children across the besieged Gaza Strip later this month, contingent upon a cessation of hostilities.

The WHO and UNICEF have called for the ceasefires to allow safe access to health facilities for children and their families, and to enable field workers to reach those unable to access health services for polio vaccinations. Without these ceasefires, the vaccination campaign may not be feasible, according to the organizations, as Israel continues to make the entire strip unsafe.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated on social media that two rounds of polio vaccinations are expected to launch in Gaza at the end of August and September to prevent the virus’s spread. He emphasized that a humanitarian truce is essential to ensure that life-saving vaccines reach all children in need, adding that “the best vaccine for all children in Gaza is peace.”

The virus was first detected in sewage samples from Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, with the discovery being reported by the Israeli Ministry of Health on July 18, followed by confirmation from the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza and the WHO.

Children under five, particularly infants under two, are the most vulnerable to this viral disease. Routine immunization campaigns have been disrupted for the past ten months due to the ongoing Israeli attacks, exacerbating the risk to the youngest and most vulnerable in Gaza. Despite having vaccines available, the ongoing conflict and strict blockade have severely hindered the delivery of these critical immunizations.