“To overcome the challenges posed by the unstable security situation and continuous population movement, robust microplans have been developed to ensure the campaign can accommodate change and displacement significant population in the north after the first wave in September,” the UN health agency said. , WHOand for children, UNICEFsaid in one declare.
UN organizations and partners launched phase one in September and have made more than 200 teams available as of October 23 to register the final round of the campaign. delayed by constant Israeli airstrikes, clashes on the ground and no assurances of the humanitarian pause needed to stop fighting during vaccine deliveries.
Polio was eradicated in the Gaza Strip 25 years ago, but the ongoing war has caused multiple health crises, with a 10-month-old child diagnosed with the virus earlier this year, prompting health officials to organize a campaign in war-torn Israel. -occupied territory
Limitations still exist
According to UN agencies, the campaign will be carried out by 216 teams across 106 fixed locations, 22 of which have been added to ensure increased vaccination capacity in areas where people Recently displaced are looking for refuge. They explained there will also be 209 social “mobilizers” deployed to engage the community and raise awareness of vaccination efforts.
However, the agencies warn that health care workers will not be able to reach all children who need the final dose of the vaccine.
“The final phase of the campaign aims to reach approximately 119,000 children under 10 years of age in northern Gaza with a second dose of the new oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), however, achieving the target This is currently difficult to achieve due to limited accessibility,” the agencies warn.
Despite the lack of access to all eligible children in northern Gaza, the Gaza Polio Technical Committee, which includes the Palestinian Ministry of Health, WHO, UNICEF, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees , UNRWA and partners, decided to continue the campaign.
The plan aims to minimize the risk of long delays in reaching as many children as possible with polio vaccine and the opportunity to vaccinate those recently evacuated to Gaza City from areas other of the Northern Range.
Extended humanitarian pause
The humanitarian pause has been extended by two hours and is expected to last from 6am to 4pm daily, WHO and UNICEF said. Like the first two phases, vitamin A will also be administered simultaneously to children aged 2 to 10 years in the North to help boost overall immunity.
The operation in northern Gaza follows the successful implementation of the first two phases of the second round in central and southern Gaza, involving 451,216 children – reaching 96% of the target in these areas.
To date, a total of 364,306 children aged 2 to 10 years have received vitamin A during this period.
Regional impact
To stop the transmission of the polio virus, at least 90% of all children in every community and neighborhood must be vaccinated, the agencies said. This will be a difficult challenge to achieve in the current situation.
According to the United Nations health agency, delaying the second dose of nOPV2 by six weeks will reduce the impact of two closely spaced rounds, reducing immunity.
WHO also warns that missing the second dose of the vaccine by a significant number of children will seriously jeopardize efforts to prevent transmission of the virus and could also lead to further infections in the Gaza Strip and neighboring countries.
Watch UN Video news footage of the second phase of the polio vaccine campaign in Gaza:
