Rotary commits funds to polio outbreak response in Gaza

Updated 23 October 2024

The recent detection of variant poliovirus type-2 isolates in environmental samples and the confirmation of a 10-month-old child who has contracted polio in Gaza is a stark reminder that as long as polio exists anywhere, it is a threat everywhere.

The ongoing crisis in Gaza has contributed to reduced routine immunization rates and an increased risk of vaccine-preventable diseases, including polio. The crisis also poses a significant challenge to fully implementing disease surveillance and vaccination campaigns.

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers there to be a high risk for the spread of this polio strain within Gaza and internationally, particularly given the current situation's impact on public health services.

A humanitarian pause allowed a two-round polio vaccination campaign to begin in Gaza. The first round was successfully implemented from 1-12 September 2024 and vaccinated 559,161 children, or an estimated 95% of eligible children at the governorate level, according to independently conducted post-campaign monitoring.

The second round of the emergency polio vaccination campaign in Gaza kicked off on 14 October. The campaign started in Central Gaza, vaccinating children under 10 years old with nOPV2, where children aged between 2-9 years old were also offered Vitamin A.

As of 23 October, the Polio Technical Committee for Gaza, including the Palestinian Ministry of Health, World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and partners have been compelled to postpone the third phase of the polio vaccination campaign. This final phase of the ongoing campaign aimed to vaccinate 119,279 children across northern Gaza.

The current conditions, including ongoing attacks on civilian infrastructure, continue to jeopardize people’s safety and movement in northern Gaza, making it impossible for families to bring their children for vaccination safely and health workers to operate. 

Rotary committed US$500,000 to bolster the initiative, channeling these funds through a dedicated Polio Outbreak Response Fund. This contribution represents Rotary's sustained support to the WHO in combating polio globally.

Rotary will continue to work with its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and other agencies as vaccination efforts unfold.

Financial contributions to the PolioPlus fund will help Rotary and its Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners achieve a world in which no child is paralyzed by polio again.

Follow the latest on the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza.