Children in Gaza are now at risk not just from bombs but from polio. A ceasefire is needed now | Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

TThe polio virus is Detected in wastewater samples The incident, which occurred in Gaza last week, is a worrying but not unexpected development given that nine months of relentless war have left the region's health system overwhelmed.

Across Gaza, Over 39,000 people were killed and 89,000 were injured.and more An estimated 10,000 people Most of the hospitals are no longer functioning. Already, Diarrheal diseases, respiratory infections In Gaza, infectious diseases such as Hepatitis A are rampant. Almost everyone in Gaza Facing severe food insecurity and devastating hunger, leaving thousands of children malnourished and vulnerable to disease.

Approximately 2.3 million people live in an area of ​​365 square kilometers (141 square miles). The Gaza Strip is becoming more concentrated, with limited access to clean, safe water and deteriorating sanitation conditions.

Since early May, around one million people have relocated from Rafah to Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah. Where polio samples were found.

Although no cases of polio have been recorded yet, unless urgent action is taken, it is only a matter of time before polio spreads to thousands of unprotected children. The kids Children under five, and especially infants under two, are at risk as many have not received any vaccinations during the nine months of conflict.

world health The World Health Organization (WHO) has sent more than one million doses of polio vaccine to Gaza to prevent children from contracting the disease, and vaccinations are due to begin in the coming weeks. But without an immediate ceasefire and a significantly accelerated humanitarian response, including a vaccination campaign focused on young children, people will continue to die from preventable diseases and treatable injuries.

We have seen polio spread time and again in places affected by conflict and instability. In 2017, in war-torn Syria, Emergence of mutant poliovirus – A variant of the wild virus that can spread in populations with low immunity – Left 74 children paralyzedSomalia today is facing its longest uninterrupted civil war, a decade of conflict. Infection with mutant poliovirus Since 2017, it has become a worldwide epidemic. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, The last two countries Humanitarian crises and insecurity in areas where wild polio paralyzes children have prevented the world from permanently eradicating the virus.

Today, children trapped in Gaza face the same threats and have nowhere to turn. Before the conflict, vaccination coverage was 99 percent. Today, that rate has fallen to 86 percent, putting unvaccinated children at risk of spreading the virus. A devastated health system, lack of security, destroyed infrastructure, mass displacement of people and a shortage of medical supplies mean children are missing out on many life-saving vaccines.

only 16 Of the 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip, 36 are functioning with reduced services, with less than half of the primary health care facilities operational. 70% 100 percent of the Gaza Strip's sewage pumps are destroyed and not a single wastewater treatment plant is operational, creating ideal conditions for the spread of disease.

In these dire conditions, health workers are risking their lives to care for people, from working without electricity to testing sewage samples for deadly diseases. The fact that polio was detected in Gaza before a large-scale paralytic outbreak is a testament to these incredible efforts, given that disease surveillance systems have been severely reduced due to the insecurity.

For over 30 years, Global Polio Eradication Initiative The organization, which consists of Rotary International, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has been helping health authorities around the world build and maintain resilient disease surveillance systems that can detect viruses and other emerging health threats in any situation.

These systems conducted several door-to-door vaccination campaigns in Syria in 2017, helping to identify and contain outbreaks. Last year, surveillance efforts in Ukraine uncovered an outbreak of a mutated poliovirus that paralyzed two children before a rapid vaccination response was put in place. Stopped the virus.

In the face of serious crises and challenges, the international community has a responsibility to leave no one behind and prioritize health and well-being. This is unprecedented. From the Salvadoran civil war in the 1980s to the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region in the early 2000s, ceasefires known as “days of peace” have been negotiated, effectively pausing hostilities and ensuring life-saving vaccines reach communities trapped in hard-to-reach conflict zones.

The detection of polio in the Gaza Strip today is a fresh reminder of the dire situation people face. Continued conflict will not only increase the death toll in the Strip, but will also hinder efforts to identify and respond to preventable health threats like polio.

Urgent efforts are underway to vaccinate every child against polio, but ultimately, a ceasefire and the continued delivery of aid are the only sure way to protect people and prevent a polio outbreak.

• Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Director-General of the World Health Organization
  

• This article mentions the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's support for polio eradication. Support for the Guardian's international development journalism comes from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. GuardianFind out more about how the Guardian ensures its editorial independence here. here