First Polio Case in Gaza in 25 Years

A 10-month-old baby in Gaza, Abdul Rahman, has become the first confirmed case of polio in the region in over 25 years, highlighting a significant public health failure amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The child was paralyzed by a mutated strain of the virus that emerged from an oral vaccine previously deemed safe, with experts criticizing global health authorities for inadequate vaccination strategies. Due to the conflict, vaccination rates in Gaza have plummeted from near-universal coverage to just over 80%, leaving hundreds of thousands of children unprotected. The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF are now planning a mass vaccination campaign targeting 640,000 children under 10 to prevent further outbreaks, but they warn that without a 95% coverage rate, polio could spread rapidly. This resurgence of the disease points to deeper systemic issues in public health policy, especially in conflict zones. The situation underscores the urgent need for humanitarian pauses in the conflict to facilitate vaccination efforts and safeguard vulnerable populations.