The World Health Organization (WHO) will send more than one million polio vaccines to war-torn Gaza after the virus was detected in wastewater there, the UN agency’s chief said Wednesday.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO chief, told a press conference that health workers need freedom of movement in Gaza to administer the vaccines, saying that a ceasefire or at least a few days of calm, was essential to protect Gaza’s children.
“WHO is sending more than 1 million polio vaccines which will be administered in the coming weeks,” he said.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
On July 30, the health ministry in Gaza declared the place to be a “polio epidemic zone”, blaming the reappearance of the virus on Israel’s military offensive since the October 7 Hamas attacks and the resulting destruction of health facilities.
The ministry said the CPV2 strain of the virus was detected in wastewater samples taken in the Khan Yunis region in the south of the strip, as well as in areas of central Gaza.
Israel’s retaliatory military campaign in Gaza, in response to a Hamas attack, has killed at least 39,677 people, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Hamas’ October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,198 people, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.