UN agencies call for humanitarian pauses in Gaza for polio vaccination

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have called for a seven-day humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to allow two rounds of a polio vaccination campaign for more than 640,000 children under the age of 10.

In a statement released today from Geneva, the WHO outlined that the vaccination efforts are scheduled to begin at the end of August and continue into September 2024. The goal is to combat the spread of circulating variant type 2 poliovirus (cVDPV2).

The proposed ceasefire will allow children and families to safely access health facilities, and enable outreach workers to vaccinate those who cannot reach these centres.

During each round, the Palestinian Ministry of Health, along with WHO, UNICEF, UNRWA, and other partners, will administer two drops of the novel oral polio vaccine (nOPV2).

Over 1.6 million doses of nOPV2 are set to be delivered to Gaza. The vaccines and cold chain equipment are expected to transit through Ben Gurion Airport before arriving in Gaza by the end of August.

It is critical that the transport and delivery processes are smooth to ensure the vaccines arrive on time.

WHO stresses that achieving at least 95 percent vaccination coverage in each round is essential to prevent the spread of polio and mitigate the risk of its return.

It also added that successful campaign delivery depends on adequate cash, fuel, and functional communication networks to effectively inform communities about the vaccination efforts.

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.

Humanitarian pauses are vital for the lifesaving vaccines to reach all children in need. We request…

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) August 16, 2024