A 10-month-old baby in Gaza has developed paralysis in one leg, after contracting the Type 2 polio virus, the first such case in the territory in 25 years, the World Health Organisation has said.
“I am gravely concerned that a 10-month-old unvaccinated child from Deir al-Balah, Gaza, has been confirmed to have polio,” the WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said in a post on X on Friday, adding that this was “the first case in Gaza in 25 years.”
“The child, who developed paralysis in the lower left leg, is currently in a stable condition,” he said.
I am gravely concerned that a 10-month-old unvaccinated child from Deir al-Balah, #Gaza, has been confirmed to have polio—the first case in Gaza in 25 years. @WHO and partners urgently worked to collect and transfer stool samples from the child for testing at a WHO-accredited…
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) August 22, 2024
The WHO and its partners, he added, urgently worked to collect and transfer stool samples from the child for testing at a WHO-accredited laboratory in the region.
“Genomic sequencing confirmed the virus is linked to the variant poliovirus type 2 detected in environmental samples collected in June from Gaza’s wastewater,” the WHO chief stated.
The first confirmed case was announced last week and came a month after the virus that causes polio was detected in water in the besieged enclave.
The WHO said last month that the vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2) was found at six locations in sewage samples collected on 23 June from Gaza’s Khan Yunis and Deir Al-Balah areas.
‘Risk of Spreading’
Meanwhile, the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced on Friday plans to begin a polio vaccination campaign in the besieged enclave by the end of August.
“Polio will not make the distinction between Palestinian & Israeli children. Delaying a humanitarian pause will increase the risk of spread among children,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on X.
“It is not enough to bring the vaccines into Gaza + protect the cold chain. To have an impact, the vaccines must end up in the mouths of every child under the age of 10,” he said.
Very sad. @WHO confirms that a 10-month-old baby in #Gaza is now paralysed due to #Polio. The first case in more than 25 years.
Polio will not make the distinction between Palestinian & Israeli children.
Delaying a humanitarian pause will increase the risk of spread among…— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) August 23, 2024
Polio, a highly infectious virus that can cause irreversible paralysis within hours, poses a particular threat to children in Gaza.
The resurgence of polio is being attributed to the destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure, coupled with Israel’s restrictions on repairs and the delivery of supplies.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health said at the time of the virus’ discovery that the situation arose from “the challenging health conditions in the Gaza Strip, including the spread of infectious diseases, the overflow of sewage into streets and among displaced persons’ tents, and the lack of personal hygienic supplies and clean drinking water.”
Over 40,000 Killed
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
Preserving ‘Palestinian Lineage’ – Hospitals Prioritize Children, Women amid Continued Massacres
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 40,223 Palestinians have been killed, and 92,981 wounded. Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
(PC, Anadolu)
It’s heartbreaking to hear about the suffering of innocent