International Courant
The United Nations, in collaboration with Palestinian well being authorities, has formally launched a marketing campaign to vaccinate youngsters within the Gaza Strip in opposition to the polio virus. The virus may cause paralysis of the limbs and even dying in youngsters.
This comes after the virus, beforehand defeated within the enclave following a mass vaccination marketing campaign, was found final month after 25 years. The invention of the polio case highlights the collapse of Gaza’s well being infrastructure as a consequence of nearly 11 months of relentless Israeli bombardment.
This is what we all know in regards to the state of play relating to the troop rollout amid the devastating conflict in Gaza, which has killed greater than 40,700 Palestinians, together with almost 17,500 youngsters.
What’s polio and what’s it like in Gaza?
Polio is a critical an infection that may unfold rapidly, particularly in unsanitary circumstances, as a result of it may be transmitted by contact with feces. It can be unfold by coughing and sneezing, though it’s much less widespread.
Most individuals don’t present any signs after contracting the virus, with some experiencing gentle, flu-like signs reminiscent of excessive temperature, fatigue and headache that normally last as long as 10 days. However the virus may injury the mind and nerves, resulting in paralysis and in some instances even dying.
(Al Jazeera)
The Israeli military has destroyed water and wastewater networks within the Palestinian territory, inflicting waste to pile up in small areas, forcing tons of of 1000’s of civilians to flee.
In keeping with the federal government media workplace in Gaza, the Israeli military has additionally stopped transferring waste away from civilian areas. Checks have been instituted on waste dumps and municipal staff, equipment and mechanisms used for waste administration are being focused.
Abdel-Rahman Abu el-Jedian, a 10-month-old Palestinian, was left partially paralyzed final month after contracting polio. He was spared the illness as a result of his household had been repeatedly displaced by Israeli army operations.
In keeping with the World Well being Group (WHO), an interruption of routine vaccination campaigns within the occupied Palestinian territories, together with Gaza, has contributed to the resurgence of the illness.
How is the vaccination marketing campaign going?
About 2,700 well being staff are concerned within the marketing campaign, which is supported by WHO, UNICEF and the UN Company for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Well being in Gaza.
The assault formally started on Sunday within the central a part of the enclave, the place it was anticipated to final till September 4. It then moved to Khan Younis and Rafah within the south (September 5-8) and the northern Gaza governorates (September 9-12).
Youngsters in #Gaza began receiving polio vaccines this morning. That is in the present day in Nuseirat.
The vaccination marketing campaign has began in central Gaza, the place greater than 200 of our groups are administering vaccines in 28 @UNRWA well being services and transferring from tent to tent#UNRWAworks photograph.twitter.com/xkZtVxDOCJ
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) September 1, 2024
On Saturday, a handful of kids acquired the primary few doses at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis earlier than the large-scale rollout started.
Roughly 640,000 youngsters aged someday to 10 years will obtain the poliovirus kind 2 vaccine within the type of two drops.
(Al Jazeera)
Is there a ceasefire in the course of the vaccination marketing campaign?
Preventing has been halted in some designated areas within the Gaza Strip to permit well being facilities to manage the doses.
However in accordance with the workplace of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, all reviews of a common ceasefire within the enclave are false.
“Israel will solely enable a humanitarian hall by which vaccinators will cross and demarcated areas will likely be established that will likely be protected for administering the vaccine for a number of hours,” an announcement mentioned on Sunday.
“Israel attaches significance to stopping the outbreak of polio within the Gaza Strip, additionally to forestall the unfold of epidemics within the area.”
In keeping with the UN, the preliminary period of the “humanitarian pause” agreed to permit for vaccination will likely be from 6am to 3pm (0900-1800 GMT) every day.
High UN officers have beforehand harassed that the one efficient technique to vaccinate all youngsters in opposition to the virus and a variety of different harmful ailments spreading in Gaza is thru a right away and lasting ceasefire.
Are the vaccines protected?
In keeping with the UN, on-line information reviews appeared in Israel and the USA by which Israeli scientists falsely claimed that the polio vaccine for use in Gaza is “experimental” and poses a hazard to civilians in each Palestine and Israel.
“I wish to make this clear: the most secure and simplest technique to defend youngsters in opposition to poliovirus, whatever the pressure, is to vaccinate them,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric advised reporters in New York final week.
“This vaccine is protected. It’s efficient and gives top-quality safety. It’s a vaccine that’s really helpful worldwide for outbreaks of kind 2 poliovirus by the World Well being Group.”
Dujarric mentioned greater than 1.2 billion doses of the identical vaccine have been used to guard youngsters in about 40 international locations after it was rolled out in March 2021.
What are the obstacles? Will the marketing campaign assist stop the outbreak of polio?
Chessa Latifi, deputy director of emergency aid and response at Undertaking HOPE, mentioned conflict, pressured displacement and the collapse of Gaza’s well being system might hamper the vaccination marketing campaign.
“I feel it is extremely unlikely that the vaccination marketing campaign will attain the 90 % of kids who should be vaccinated,” Latifi advised Al Jazeera from Los Angeles.
“There’s merely no assure of security. These individuals who must convey their youngsters to those clinics — have they got entry to the clinics within the first place? Have they got gasoline or the means to get to the clinics? Is it protected? Is it protected for the employees to return to the clinics? I do know we’ve these quick humanitarian pauses. However is it sufficient? No,” she mentioned.
Latifi, whose group is energetic in Gaza, additionally mentioned that the vaccination marketing campaign alone won’t assist stop the unfold of the virus.
“The vaccination marketing campaign shouldn’t be addressing the core drawback, which is the dearth of hygiene, sanitation and clear water,” she mentioned. “As a result of if we had these elements – the clear water, the right bathing services and latrines – we might not have had polio. However this infrastructure has been fully destroyed. You’ve got individuals dwelling in these advert hoc camps. It’s a actually, actually harmful state of affairs.”
What you’ll want to know in regards to the polio vaccination marketing campaign in Gaza | Information in regards to the Israeli-Palestinian battle
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