The director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, confirmed on Wednesday (31) the detection of the polio virus in the Gaza Strip. The region is facing a serious health crisis after almost ten months of war between Israel and Hamas.
On his social media profile, Tedros wrote: “The detection of polio in Gaza is a stark reminder of the dire conditions faced by the population. The persistence of the conflict hampers efforts to identify and respond to preventable health threats such as polio.”
The WHO said it was preparing to send about 1 million doses of polio vaccine to Gaza. WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier called for a ceasefire in the region to allow a mass vaccination campaign to begin.
