27.8 C
Delhi
Monday, August 25, 2025

Israel, Hamas agree to pauses for polio vaccinations in Gaza: WHO

Date:

Share post:

Donate-GC-Razorpay

United Nations: Israel and Hamas have agreed to three separate, zoned three-day pauses in fighting in the Gaza Strip for the polio vaccination campaign, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Thursday.

The polio vaccination campaign in Gaza will start on Sept. 1, said Rik Peeperkorn, head of the WHO office for the West Bank and Gaza, when briefing reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.

According to Peeperkorn, the agreement was for the pauses to take place between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. local time, starting in central Gaza with a three-day pause in fighting, then southern Gaza with another three-day pause, and followed by northern Gaza.

The campaign targets some 640,000 children, with each child from birth to 10 years old receiving two doses of the vaccine.

The Gaza Strip recorded its first case of poliovirus infection in 25 years earlier this month.

Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that primarily affects children under five. According to the WHO, it spreads person-to-person, mainly through the fecal-oral route or, less commonly, through contaminated water or food.

Related articles

Oslo Accords: The Handshake That Shook the World

A Moment on the White House LawnIt was September 1993. The sun shone bright over Washington. Two...

Stories Written in India Could Spark Global Interest: ‘The Witch, The Princess and The Tower of Doom’ Author Rajesh Talwar

Princess Pihu is a strong and helpful female protagonist, in this unique tale that defies fairy tale clichés....

Minister says MSMEs are on way to digital transformation

New Delhi: Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Shobha Karandlaje today told the Lok Sabha...

Parliamentary panel flags US climate fund withdrawal, urges India to lead by example

New Delhi: A parliamentary panel has voiced concern over the United States’ withdrawal from its $100 billion commitment...