Palestine registers first case of poliovirus in southern Gaza Strip

The Health Ministry today registered the first case of poliovirus in the southern governorates of the war-torn Gaza Strip.

A press release carried by Palestinian News & Information Agency (WAFA) said the case is that of a 10-month-old newborn who has not received any vaccination for polio in the city of Deir al-Balah. Doctors suspected that the newborn exhibited symptoms identical to those of polio.

Tests conducted in Amman confirmed that the newborn contracted a strain of vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV).

It confirmed that it would carry out a vital polio vaccination campaign within the coming few days, targeting children under 10. It noted that 1,200,000 type 2 polio vaccine doses were secured in coordination with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and work is underway to secure 400,000 doses.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for humanitarian pauses to conduct a polio vaccine campaign after the virus was detected in the war-torn Gaza Strip.

Speaking at a press conference in New York, Guterres appealed to all parties to immediately provide concrete assurances guaranteeing humanitarian pauses for a polio vaccination campaign, reiterating that "the ultimate vaccine for polio is peace and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire."

He stressed: "A Polio Pause is a must. It is impossible to conduct a polio vaccination campaign with war raging all over."