The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has announced that the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza has reached a 90% coverage rate.
Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General, confirmed that efforts are now focused on ensuring that hundreds of thousands of children receive a second dose by the end of September.
Launched on September 1, the campaign targets around 640,000 children under ten, amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
This initiative followed the World Health Organization’s report last month of a child contracting type 2 polio—a rare event in the Palestinian territories in 25 years.
Despite challenges such as access restrictions and shortages of fuel, over 446,000 children in central and southern Gaza have been vaccinated.
The campaign has now moved to the northern region to reach the remaining 200,000 children.
Lazzarini praised the partial adherence to humanitarian ceasefires and emphasized that with continued political will, further progress is achievable.
The primary focus now is to administer the second dose to all targeted children by the end of the month.
The polio vaccination campaign is a crucial response to an outbreak that had not been seen in Gaza for decades.
The success of this campaign is vital for preventing a wider epidemic and protecting the health of children in a region facing severe conflict and logistical difficulties.
