The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday that a mass polio vaccination campaign will begin in Gaza on Saturday, targeting over 591,000 children under the age of 10.
"A mass polio vaccination campaign is planned to start in Gaza this Saturday, 22 February, aiming to cover more than 591,000 children under 10 years old," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X on Wednesday.
Tedros stated that the campaign follows the recent detection of poliovirus in wastewater samples, indicating its circulation in the environment and posing a risk to children.
"We welcome the ceasefire, which is enabling us to conduct the campaign. We continue to urge for a lasting ceasefire that leads to long-term peace," he said.
Gaza’s Health Ministry confirmed that the three-day polio campaign will start on Saturday, in coordination with WHO, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
Last August, Gaza health authorities announced that a 10-month-old boy was paralyzed by polio, the first case in the enclave in 25 years.
In response, a two-phase polio campaign was launched across Gaza under UN supervision in September and November, whereas over half a million children under 10 were vaccinated against the deadly disease.
Polio, a highly infectious disease that can cause paralysis, primarily affects children under five. WHO and its partners have been working to prevent its spread through vaccination efforts in conflict-affected regions.
The Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement has been in place since last month, suspending Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed nearly 48,300 Palestinians and left the enclave in ruins.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
