Hours after the campaign launched, reports said a health center in the north had been hit, injuring six people, including four children, in a location where a humanitarian pause had been put in place, according to the leader of the World Health Organization (WHO). .
“We have received an extremely worrying report that the Sheikh Radwan primary health care center in northern Gaza was struck today as parents brought their children for a life-saving polio vaccination in an area where a humanitarian pause was agreed to allow vaccination,” Tedros said. Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a post on social networks.
He said a WHO team was there just before.
“This attack, which occurred during a humanitarian pause, jeopardizes the sanctity of protecting children’s health and could dissuade parents from bringing their children for vaccination,” he said. “These vital humanitarian pauses specific to each area must be absolutely respected. »
The campaign takes place despite the difficulties
“To overcome the challenges posed by the unstable security situation and constant population movements, robust micro-plans have been developed to ensure that the campaign responds to population movements and significant displacement in the north after the first cycle in September” , said the United Nations health agency. , WHO, and for children, UNICEF, said in a statement.
UN agencies and partners began the first phase in September and have had more than 200 teams on standby since October 23 to roll out the final round of the campaign, which had been delayed by constant Israeli airstrikes, clashes on the ground and the lack of guarantees of the required humanitarian aid. pauses to stop fighting during vaccine delivery.
Polio was eradicated from the Gaza Strip 25 years ago, but the ongoing war has sparked multiple health crises, with a 10-month-old child diagnosed with the paralyzing virus earlier this year, prompting protests. health officials to mount a campaign in the war-torn region. Territory occupied by Israel.
Restrictions persist
The campaign will be carried out by 216 teams spread across 106 fixed sites, 22 of which have been added to ensure increased availability of vaccination in areas where recently displaced people seek refuge, according to UN agencies. There will also be 209 social “mobilizers” deployed to engage communities and raise awareness of vaccination efforts, they explained.
However, agencies have warned that health workers will not be able to reach all children who need a final dose of vaccine.
“The final phase of the campaign aimed to reach approximately 119,000 children under the age of 10 in northern Gaza with a second dose of the new oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2). However, this is now unlikely to be achieved due to access constraints. » warn the agencies.
Despite the lack of access to all eligible children in northern Gaza, the Polio Technical Committee for Gaza, which includes the Palestinian Ministry of Health, WHO, UNICEF, the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA and its partners, decided to resume the campaign.
The plan aims to mitigate the risk of a long delay in vaccinating as many children against polio as possible and provide the opportunity to vaccinate those recently evacuated to Gaza City from other parts of the northern Strip.
Extended humanitarian pauses
The humanitarian pause period has been extended by two hours and is expected to run from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, WHO and UNICEF said. As in the first two phases, vitamin A will also be co-administered to children aged 2 to 10 years in the north to help boost overall immunity.
The campaign in northern Gaza follows the successful implementation of the first two phases of the second cycle in central and southern Gaza, which reached 451,216 children, or 96 percent of the target in these areas.
A total of 364,306 children aged 2 to 10 years have so far received vitamin A under this cycle.
Regional impact
To interrupt poliovirus transmission, at least 90 percent of all children in every community and neighborhood must be vaccinated, which will be a challenge to achieve given the situation, the agencies said.
According to the UN health agency, a delay in administering a second dose of nOPV2 within six weeks reduces the impact of two cycles close together, thereby decreasing immunity.
The WHO also warned that the failure of a significant number of children to receive their second dose of vaccine is seriously undermining efforts to stop transmission of the virus and could also lead to new cases in the Gaza Strip and in neighboring countries.
Watch the UN Video news flash on phase two of the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza:
