Polio

2024 - 8 - 17

Polio i Gaza: Krig og vaccination i skæbnesvanger kamp!

Gaza - Humanitær pause - Polio - Sundhedskrise - Vaccination kampagne

Et spædbarn med polio og krig i Gaza? Find ud af hvordan det hele hænger sammen!

Den første registrerede sag af polio er netop blevet opdaget i Gaza, ifølge den palæstinensiske sundhedsmyndighed. Dette bekymrende udvikling blev rapporteret fredag, da en kun ti måneder gammel baby i byen Deir al-Balah blev diagnosticeret med sygdommen. Polio, som for det meste er blevet udryddet i mange dele af verden takket være vellykkede vaccinationsprogrammer, har nu gjort sit ubehagelige comeback i en region, der allerede lider under humanitære kriser. Dette har fået sundhedseksperter til at advare om en potentiel epidemi, hvis der ikke hurtigt gribes ind.

UN's generalsekretær António Guterres har offentligt opfordret til en våbenhvile i Gaza for at give humanitære organisationer mulighed for at udføre en kritisk vaccinationskampagne. Det planlægges, at der vil blive iværksat to runder af vaccination mod polio henholdsvis i slutningen af august og september 2024. 708 teams bestående af mere end 2,700 sundhedsarbejdere vil være på jorden for at sikre, at vaccinationsprogrammet bliver en succes. Uden en pause i de igangværende kampe, er det usikkert, om dette vil være muligt.

Hamas har tilkendegivet sin støtte til FN's opfordring om en våbenhvile for at muliggøre vaccinationen af børn mod polio. Aid grupper i området arbejder hurtigt på at forhindre smitten i at sprede sig, da truslen om en polio-udbrud stiger. Årsagen til det hastende behov for vaccinationer er, at polio kan føre til alvorlige komplikationer og i værste fald lammelse hos de ramte. Dette er især skræmmende i en region, hvor sundhedssystemet allerede kæmper under presset fra både krig og pandemi.

Det er en usædvanlig situation, der kombinerer elementer af både sundhedsmæssig nødsituation og krig. Mens det på den ene side er urimeligt, at en så gammel sygdom som polio viser sig i 2023, maner det også til eftertænksomhed. Vaccinationer er et grundlæggende redskab, når det kommer til forebyggelsen af børnesygdomme, men de kan kun udføres i et fredeligt miljø. Det er en påmindelse om de vedvarende udfordringer, som mange lande står over for, når de ønsker at beskytte deres borgere mod sygdomme.

Vidste du, at polio tidligere var en af de mest frygtede sygdomme i USA, der ramte millioner af børn i 1950’erne? Gennem massede vaccinationer er sygdommen næsten udryddet, og mange nyere generationer kender ikke engang til dens alvorlighed. Det er ironisk, at et konfliktområde kan blive så meget påvirket, når alle andre steder i verden glider tilbage til normalitet. I 2023 er det essentielt, at vi ikke glemmer vigtigheden af vaccination i kampen mod smitsomme sygdomme—uanset situationen!

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Image courtesy of "NBC News"

First case of polio detected in Gaza, Palestinian health ministry says (NBC News)

A 10 month-old baby is the first recorded case of polio in the Gaza city of Deir al-Balah, the Palestinian health ministry said Friday.

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Image courtesy of "World Health Organization"

Humanitarian pauses vital for critical polio vaccination campaign in ... (World Health Organization)

Two rounds of a polio vaccination campaign are expected to be launched at the end of August and September 2024 across the Gaza Strip to prevent the spread ...

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Image courtesy of "UN News"

Guterres appeals for 'Polio Pause' in Gaza (UN News)

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on Friday for warring parties in Gaza to lay down their arms so that humanitarians can safely vaccinate more ...

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Image courtesy of "Aljazeera.com"

Gaza records first polio case as UN calls for truce to tackle virus (Aljazeera.com)

Hamas says it supports UN request to halt the fighting to allow a vaccination campaign for children against polio.

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Image courtesy of "ABC News"

Aid groups in Gaza aim to avert a polio outbreak with a surge of ... (ABC News)

The threat of polio is rising fast in Gaza, prompting aid groups to call for an urgent pause in the war so they can ramp up vaccinations and head off a ...

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Image courtesy of "CIDRAP"

WHO, UNICEF call for cease fire in Gaza to allow polio vaccination (CIDRAP)

According to finalized plans, vaccination will be delivered by 708 teams made up of 2,700 health workers total and will take place at hospitals, field hospitals ...

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Image courtesy of "The Washington Post"

Israeli strike kills 10, Lebanon says; Gaza reports polio case in child (The Washington Post)

The strike appears to be the deadliest attack in Lebanon since Hezbollah and Israel began trading fire after the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attacks on southern ...

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Image courtesy of "The Associated Press"

First case of polio confirmed in a 10-month-old child in Gaza ... (The Associated Press)

Palestinian health officials say the first case of polio has been recorded in an unvaccinated 10-month old-child in the Gaza city of Deir al-Balah.

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Image courtesy of "POLITICO.eu"

Gaza records first polio case in 25 years (POLITICO.eu)

Analysis of sewage samples had first detected the presence of the virus in the region in June.

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Image courtesy of "ABC News"

Aid groups in Gaza aim to avert a polio outbreak with a surge of ... (ABC News)

The threat of polio is rising fast in Gaza, prompting aid groups to call for an urgent pause in the war so they can ramp up vaccinations and head off a ...

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Image courtesy of "PBS NewsHour"

Aid groups aim to avoid polio outbreak in Gaza through mass ... (PBS NewsHour)

Health workers in Gaza are gearing up for a mass vaccination campaign to begin at the end of August and continue into September with the goal to immunize ...

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Image courtesy of "Council on American-Islamic Relations"

CAIR Says Polio Outbreak in Gaza Shows Urgent Need for Ceasefire - (Council on American-Islamic Relations)

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on the Biden ...

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Image courtesy of "UPI.com"

Gaza war elevates danger of a polio outbreak - UPI.com (UPI.com)

The war in Gaza has prevented Hamas from vaccinating local children against the disease as displaced Palestinians crowd into tent encampments 10 months ...

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Image courtesy of "The Washington Post"

Gaza faces public health crisis with first confirmed case of polio (The Washington Post)

The United Nations is now pushing for a pause in the fighting so it can coordinate two mass vaccination campaigns for more than 640000 children.

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