The Risk of Disease and Efforts to Combat It Amidst War

Written by: Dr. Mansour Abu Karim

The announcement of the polio infection of one-year-old Abdul Rahman Abu al-Jidyan, from Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, at the end of July, highlighted the severe health and living conditions in the Strip. This news spurred the acceleration of plans for a widespread vaccination campaign for children across the Strip, beginning on September 1^st, 2024.

Most residents of the Gaza Strip suffer from a severe shortage of healthcare services, following the systematic and deliberate destruction of the health system by the Israeli occupying forces. This has resulted in an extremely difficult and complex health reality, as the Israeli army targets hospitals, clinics, and primary care centers, leading to a near-total collapse of the healthcare system. Consequently, primary healthcare services have declined for much of the population, causing ongoing suffering for vulnerable groups, such as women, children, and the elderly, while the spread of diseases and epidemics, particularly polio, has intensified.

Due to the lack of primary healthcare and the scarcity of vaccinations during the months of war, many dangerous viruses and epidemics, including polio, have spread in Gaza. On July 19^th, 2024, the World Health Organization confirmed the spread of the second strain of the polio virus in the Gaza Strip.

After a 25-year absence in Palestine, the first confirmed case of polio in Gaza was identified in a ten-month-old child from Deir Al-Balah, following the detection of the virus in water samples collected in late June from Khan Yunis and Deir Al-Balah. The case of an unvaccinated child in Gaza marks a setback for global efforts to combat polio, which have successfully reduced infection rates by over 99% since 1988, largely due to mass vaccination campaigns. Polio is a highly infectious virus that can attack the nervous system, leading to paralysis and death, particularly in young children. It also primarily affects children under the age of five and spreads easily. While most infected individuals remain asymptomatic, some may experience fever, sore throat, headache, stiff neck, muscle and abdominal pain, and nausea.

The World Health Organization reported that the reduction in routine vaccination campaigns in Palestine, including Gaza, due to Israeli attacks and fuel restrictions, has contributed to a decline in vaccination rates, leading to the resurgence of polio. Routine vaccination coverage against polio was estimated at around 99% in 2022, but dropped to 89% last year.

Palestinian health workers attribute the spread of diseases and epidemics to the closure of many hospitals in Gaza, while international aid point to deteriorating health conditions, including open sewage and piles of garbage, as factors that have created an environment conducive to the virus's spread.

The WHO also documented 102 attacks on primary healthcare centers, while 13 health facilities have been orders to evacuate from Gaza and northern Gaza. According to the latest reports from the Government Media Office in Gaza, 33 hospitals and 64 health centers have gone out of service due to Israel’s ongoing war and aggression. Both government and international data confirm that 160 health institutions have been targeted by the Israeli occupying forces during the past months of aggression.

After the virus was detected in Gaza, the WHO, in collaboration with the United Nations and the Palestinian Ministry of Health, launched a polio vaccination campaign that began on Saturday, August 30^th, 2024. The United Nations supplied 1.2 million doses of oral vaccines. This 12-day campaign, led by WHO, aimed to administer the new oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) to 558,963 children across Gaza, with careful planning and coordination, including a wide network of teams working at fixed healthy facility sites and outreach centers.

Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative for the occupied Palestinian territory, stated, " Health and community workers have shown incredible resilience, carrying out this campaign at unprecedented scale and speed under the toughest conditions in Gaza." He noted that a second round of vaccinations is planned, but faces significant challenges, including securing a sufficient supply of the nOPV2 vaccine, the ongoing security and humanitarian situation in Gaza, marked by frequent displacement, and the repeated targeting of shelters and displacement camps by the Israeli army.

In conclusion, the health sector in the Gaza Strip is experiencing catastrophic conditions on every level, leading to the spread of numerous infectious diseases and viruses. Therefore, the international community must recognize the scale of the health crisis threatening the lives of thousands of children in Gaza, with polio emerging as a tragic symbol of the failure to protect basic human rights. The near-total collapse of the health system reflects the severity of the cruelty and neglect endured by Gaza’s residents.

Given this, the international community, along with regional and global organizations, must urgently act to pressure the Israeli occupation to comply with international treaties that protect health facilities and institutions. Immediate efforts are needed to provide vaccines and healthcare, rebuild Gaza's shattered health system, and halt the aggression. Ignoring this crisis will only deepen the suffering and expose entire generations to the risk of disease and epidemics. Time is running out, and urgent action is the only way to secure the future of Gaza’s children.

The opinions expressed in this article are the author's views and not necessarily the Association's or donor's opinion.