| 03.09.2024

The Conversation - Gaza: polio vaccination drive faces hurdles despite a pause in the conflict

“A large polio vaccination campaign started in war-torn Gaza on Sunday, September 1. The initiative, which is being led by the World Health Organization (WHO), aims to reach over 640,000 children under the age of ten”, Hanken’s Sarah Schiffling writes in an article in The Conversation together with Professor Liz Breen from University of Bradford.

“To facilitate the vaccinations, Israel has agreed to pause its military operations in the central part of Gaza from 6am to 3pm for three days. Similar pauses are expected to follow for the northern and southern parts of the enclave – also for three days each.

Polio is a highly contagious virus, which is spread between humans and can have life-altering health consequences. It has disappeared in most countries since the introduction of vaccinations. But the reemergence of polio in Gaza after 25 years without a case shows the dramatic effect war can have on the health of a population.”

Read the whole article in The Conversation:
Gaza: polio vaccination drive faces hurdles despite a pause in the conflict