UAE President Directs Critical Polio Vaccination Drive in Gaza
Abu Dhabi, The Gulf Observer: President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has ordered the delivery of a critical polio vaccination drive in Gaza following the re-emergence of the virus within the territory. The campaign, supported by a pledge of US$5 million from the UAE, aims to prevent the spread of the virus and avert a wider regional outbreak.
In collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, and UNRWA, the two-round vaccination campaign will provide over 640,000 Gazan children under the age of 10 with two doses of the polio vaccine. The initiative is set to commence on Sunday, 1st September, beginning in Central Gaza and subsequently expanding to South and North Gaza. Each phase of the campaign will continue for three days, coinciding with area-specific humanitarian pauses to ensure children and families can access health facilities, and community workers can effectively reach children.
To support this effort, approximately 1.26 million doses of the polio vaccine have already been delivered to Gaza, with an additional 400,000 doses expected soon. The campaign will be carried out by over 2,100 health workers, including mobile teams, working to achieve at least 90 percent vaccination coverage during each round. This coverage is critical to stopping the spread of polio, particularly given the overcrowded, displaced populations and severely disrupted health, water, and sanitation systems in Gaza.
The need for the campaign became urgent after the poliovirus was detected in Gaza in July 2024. The World Health Organisation confirmed on August 23 that at least one child in Gaza has been paralyzed by the variant type 2 poliovirus, marking the first such case in the territory in 25 years.
Under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE has been at the forefront of humanitarian efforts in Gaza. The UAE has delivered over 40,000 tons of urgent supplies, including food, medical aid, and shelter materials. In addition, the UAE has established a field hospital in southern Gaza and a floating hospital at the Egyptian port of Al-Arish, providing medical care to more than 27,000 injured and wounded Palestinians. Further initiatives include treatment plans for over 1,000 Palestinian children and 1,000 cancer patients in UAE hospitals.
In its commitment to ensuring water and food security, the UAE has also established six water desalination plants in Rafah, Egypt, with a capacity of 1.6 million gallons per day, supplying water to over 600,000 Gazans.
