Polio vaccination campaign in Gaza expected to be launched in couple of weeks: WHO

By Merve Berker and Muhammet Ikbal Arslan

ANKARA / GENEVA (AA) - A polio vaccination campaign in Gaza is expected to be launched at the end of August and in September, the head of the World Health Organization said on Friday.

“Two rounds of a #polio vaccination campaign are expected to be launched at the end of August and in September across #Gaza to prevent the spread of the circulating virus variant,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated on X.

“Humanitarian pauses are vital for the lifesaving vaccines to reach all children in need,” Tedros said, calling on “all parties to implement humanitarian pauses for seven days during each round of the campaign.”

“Ultimately, the best vaccine for all children in Gaza is peace,” he underlined.

Despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued its offensive in Gaza, which has been ongoing since October following an attack by Hamas. Over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict.

Over 10 months into the Israeli war, Gaza remains devastated, with severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered an immediate halt to its military operations in Rafah, where over 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.

- Mpox

Tedros also wrote about mpox cases. “Identification of the first #mpox clade 1b infection in Sweden underscores the need for affected countries to tackle the virus together.

“We encourage all countries to enhance surveillance, share data, and work to better understand the transmission; share tools like vaccines; and apply lessons learned from prior public health emergencies of international concern in addressing the current outbreak,” he said.

Margaret Harris, the WHO spokesperson, further highlighted the danger posed by the disease as she told the press after a weekly meeting of the UN's Geneva office: “Mpox now is spreading more rapidly than before, and there is a high fatality rate.”

“It is particularly dangerous for those with weak immune systems, and for small children,” she warned.

“There is currently no specific treatment, but supportive treatments did help,” Harris said.

Since the beginning of 2024, over a dozen African countries have reported the disease, which is transmitted through close contact, with the Democratic Republic of Congo accounting for more than 90% of reported cases.

According to the WHO, mpox causes rashes and flu-like symptoms.