Ceasefire improves reach of polio vaccinations in Gaza: WHO

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) — Expanded humanitarian access during the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza has significantly improved the quality and reach of polio vaccinations in the enclave, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday.

"The ceasefire enabled health workers to reach more children who had missed vaccinations due to displacement during the phased approach, living in areas that previously required special coordination for access, or being unreachable during the October 2024 round due to insecurity in North Gaza," the WHO said in a statement.

A five-day mass vaccination campaign, conducted in collaboration with the Palestinian Health Ministry and UN agencies, immunized nearly 603,000 children under the age of 10 with the novel oral polio vaccine, the statement added.

Despite adverse weather conditions, strong community engagement helped maintain high immunization rates, with families bringing their children to vaccination points, it added.

"With improved access, we vaccinated 40,000 more children compared to previous rounds," the WHO stated, noting that areas such as Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun in North Gaza were reached for the first time since the outbreak was detected in 2024.

In August 2024, the Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the first polio case in the territory in a partially paralyzed 10-month-old boy, marking the first confirmed case of the highly infectious disease since it was eradicated 25 years earlier.

The discovery prompted the first vaccination campaign amid the Israeli war on Gaza, which was carried out in two phases starting in September.

For the latest round, the campaign mobilized 1,660 teams, including 1,242 mobile units, supported by social mobilizers to raise awareness, the statement added.

According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the first phase, concluded in September, immunized over 560,000 Palestinian children. The second phase, concluding in November, vaccinated 556,774 children younger than 10.

The UN says children in Gaza require two doses of the oral polio vaccine for adequate protection.

The outbreak of polio is among the many health crises resulting from Israel’s military assault on Gaza, which lasted for over 15 months before a ceasefire took effect on Jan. 19.