United Nations - The polio virus is already circulating in Gaza, putting hundreds of thousands of children in mortal danger. UN Secretary-General António Guterres made the remarks while addressing reporters at UN headquarters in New York.
According to the UN chief, poliovirus has been detected in wastewater samples in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah in recent weeks. He stressed that preventing and containing the spread of polio will require massive, coordinated and immediate efforts. In this context, the UN plans to launch a polio vaccination campaign in Gaza at the end of August for more than 640,000 children under the age of 10.
"I call on all parties to immediately provide concrete guarantees establishing a humanitarian pause for this campaign," Guterres said.
The World Health Organization has already approved the release of 1.6 million doses of polio vaccine, according to António Guterres. UNICEF is coordinating the delivery of the vaccines and the equipment to store them. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the largest primary health care provider in Gaza, is preparing medical teams to deliver vaccines to the field.
"The challenges are daunting," the UN chief stressed.Health, water and sanitation systems in Gaza have been destroyed. Most hospitals and basic health centres are not functioning. People are constantly on the run, seeking safety. The conflict has severely limited routine immunization, which has increased the spread of other preventable diseases such as measles and hepatitis A."
António Guterres said that 708 primary health care teams in health centres and another 316 teams going into the field would take part in the vaccination.
"For a polio vaccination campaign to be successful, safety comes first," said the UN chief. - Health workers need it to do their jobs, and children and their families need it to get to health facilities."
The Secretary-General called on all parties to the conflict to provide security guarantees to health workers for the duration of the vaccination campaign. "But the most effective polio vaccine is an immediate ceasefire and lasting peace," António Guterres concluded.
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