Gaza has reported its first polio case in 25 years, sparking grave concern among global health officials. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), announced on his verified Twitter account that a 10-month-old unvaccinated child from Deir al-Balah has been confirmed to have polio. This alarming case marks a significant setback in Gaza’s public health, as the region had been polio-free for a quarter of a century.
The child, who developed paralysis in the lower left leg, is currently in stable condition. Ghebreyesus highlighted that WHO and its partners acted swiftly to collect and transfer stool samples from the child for testing at a WHO-accredited laboratory in the region. Genomic sequencing confirmed that the virus is linked to the variant poliovirus type 2, which had been detected in environmental samples from Gaza’s wastewater in June.
Given the high risk of poliovirus spread in Gaza and the surrounding region, the Palestinian Ministry of Health, WHO, and UNICEF are collaborating to implement two rounds of polio vaccination in the coming weeks. The goal is to halt the transmission of the virus and prevent further cases.
The situation in Gaza has drawn international attention, with Humza Yousaf, a prominent political figure, expressing his concerns on Twitter. Yousaf stated, “Disease is now a weapon of war. How much worse does it have to get before the international community says enough is enough?” His statement reflects growing fears that the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, exacerbated by conflict, is creating conditions where preventable diseases like polio can re-emerge.