Saturday 14 / September / 2024
Geneva: The World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Friday took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account to express his deep gratitude to the United Arab Emirates and President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for the contribution of USD 5 million to Global Polio Eradication Initiative to vaccinate 6,40,000 children against polio in Gaza.
"Deep gratitude to the UAE and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed for their contribution of USD 5 million to Global Polio Eradication Initiative to vaccinate 640,000 children against polio in Gaza," he said in his X account.
"We are grateful for the RLMglobalhealth's (Reaching The Last Mile) continued commitment towards polio eradication and to beat NTDs (neglected tropical diseases)," he added.
President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan earlier today directed funding for the delivery of a critical polio vaccination drive in Gaza following the re-emergence of the virus within the territory. The campaign will be supported by a pledge of USD 5 million from the UAE.
Delivered in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and UNRWA, the two-round campaign will provide over 6,40,000 Gazan children under the age of 10 with two doses of the polio vaccine, in an effort to stop the spread of the virus and prevent a wider regional outbreak.
The campaign will begin on Sunday, September 1, in a staggered schedule, starting in Central Gaza and then moving to South and then North Gaza. Each phase will continue for three days during area-specific humanitarian pauses, to enable children and families to access health facilities and community workers to reach children.
Some 1.26 million doses of the polio vaccine have been delivered to Gaza in preparation for distribution, with a further 400,000 doses due to arrive soon. More than 2,100 health workers, including mobile teams, will support the delivery of both rounds of the campaign.
At least 90 percent vaccination coverage is needed during each round to prevent the spread of polio, given the overcrowding, displacement and severely disrupted health, water and sanitation systems within Gaza.
Campaign planning began after the poliovirus was detected in Gaza in July 2024. The World Health Organisation confirmed on Aug. 23 that at least one child in Gaza has been paralysed by the variant type 2 poliovirus, the first such case in the territory in 25 years.
